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ITALY V FRANCE
Italy 3:
Pens:- Pez
France: 39
Tries: Dominici, Heymans, Chabal 2, Jauzion
Cons: Skrela 4
Pens: Skrela, Beauxis
France got off to a dream start in the 2007 6 nations by defeating Italy ion na dominating victory. France ran 5 tries past the poor Italians with Skerla converting 4 out 5 and slotting over a penalty and Beauxis adding his name to the scoreboard with a penalty aswell.
Italy's game was plagued by mistakes and mainly unforced errors, even the conversions were off a poor standard and to loose at home by such a large margin is an embarrasment.
In the second half France resorted to old school brut force to make the gain line and force the ball over the line, and the back when set loose were just so fluent, linking together really well.
Overall a well deserved win by France
England v Scotland
England: 42
Tries: Robinson 2, Wilkinso, Lund
Cons: Wilkinson 5
Pens: Wilkinson 2
Drop-goal: Wilkinson
Scotland: 20
Tries: Taylor, Dewey
Cons: Paterson 2
Pens: Paterson 2
Now Scotland have failed to win away from home against England for a long 25 years, but with the help of the TV ref. I missed the 1st half so i will not comment on it, as i was at work. England did use the power of the forwards to try and pressure Scotland into mistakes, which did pay off. Wilkinson played boring kick rugby and so did Dan Parks who should be banned from Scottish rugby and sent back downunder. Everytime Scotland regained possension he kicked it away. Sean Lemont as i have said from day one is the 2nd worse player on the team, as you may guess Parks gets no 1 place, never on his wing, missed tackles and passes. No wonder Dewey ran instead of passing to him. Ellis played some of the best rugby of the day matching Cusiters runs. England deserved 2 of there 3 tries, Wilkinsons was clearly not there, andScotland was obstructed by a player offside as they chased down the ball, which would have resulted in a try.
Overall the game was watchable but both teams were poor more than they were good. The ref made too many wrong decitions which effected both teams.
Wales v Ireland
Match Stats
Mins in possession:
1st Half: Wales 15:55, Ireland 15:25
2nd Half: Wales 21:55, Ireland 21:36
Mins in opponents half:
1st Half: Wales 24:18, Ireland 18:59
2nd Half: Wales 26:21, Ireland 22:54
Scrums won:
Wales 7, Ireland 13
Scrums lost:
Wales 0, Ireland 0
Line breaks:
Wales 5, Ireland 5
Penalties conceded:
Wales 7, Ireland 10
Drives from rucks:
Wales 27, Ireland 30
Passes from rucks:
Wales 34, Ireland 29
Mauls won:
Wales 0, Ireland 1
Ball won in open play:
Wales 61, Ireland 60
Ball won in opponent's 22:
Wales 18, Ireland 14
Set piece ball won:
Wales 34, Ireland 34
Tackles made:
Wales 62, Ireland 72
Missed Tackles:
Wales 13, Ireland 8
% Tackles completed:
Wales 82%, Ireland 90%
Off loads in the tackle:
Wales 10, Ireland 7
Errors made:
Wales 23, Ireland 16
Turn over won:
Wales 10, Ireland 13
Free kicks conceded:
Wales 0, Ireland 1
Passes completed:
Wales 125, Ireland 92
Possessions Kicked:
Wales 31, Ireland 35
% Possession Kicked:
Wales 19%, Ireland 27%
Kicked errors:
Wales 6, Ireland 5
Kicked to touch:
Wales 9, Ireland 14
Top Carries:
K Morgan (Wal) 8
J Hook (Wal) 7
J Robinson (Wal) 5
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 4
G D'Arcy (Ire) 4
Top Tacklers:
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 9
D Wallace (Ire) 8
J Hayes (Ire) 8
M Willliams (Wal) 8
P O'Connell (Ire) 7
Most Missed Tackles:
G D'Arcy (Ire) 4
C Czejaj (Wal) 2
J Hook (Wal) 2
R Jones (Wal) 2
AW Jones (Wal) 1
Most Off-Loads:
M Williams (Wal) 3
A Popham (Wal) 3
G D'Arcy (Ire) 2
AW Jones (Wal) 1
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 1
Most Errors:
R O'Gara (Ire) 7
S Jones (Wal) 6
C Czekaj (Wal) 3
D Peel (Wal) 3
G D'Arcy (Ire) 2
Ireland made a winning start to their 2007 RBS Six Nations campaign with a hard-fought 19-9 victory over Wales in a pulsating clash at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Check out our match pack for a full report and action gallery.
Tournament favourites Ireland relied on their best hunter's instincts to launch their RBS 6 Nations campaign with a victory over Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Much was expected of Ireland after their comprehensive autumn victories over South Africa and Australia and they were some way below that level today.
But in the face of a depleted Wales side, it was almost as if Brian O'Driscoll's stalked their prey before choosing their moments to go in for the kill.
Ireland enjoyed three periods of real pressure in the game and were rewarded with a try on each occasion - the first inside a minute, the second just before half-time and the last - to win the game - eight minutes from the end.
Wales won enough possession to have put a major dent in Ireland's title ambitions but without six key members of their back division, they lacked the required killer instinct.All Wales managed were three first-half penalties from fly-half Stephen Jones.
Instead, Ireland taught them how it is done. Huge pressure from the kick-off allowed Rory Best to barrel over the line after just 47 seconds.Wales then bossed the next half hour but Ireland restricted them to those penalties before O'Driscoll struck in the corner.
Ireland then watched and waited. Wales thought they deserved a penalty try soon after the restart but it was denied.
Then they pounced. A darting run from Gordon D'Arcy allowed Ronan O'Gara to force his way over in the corner and seal a victory.
Wales will rue the absences of injured men Mark Jones, Shane Williams, Sonny Parker and Tom Shanklin plus suspended former captain Gareth Thomas.Ireland, who head to Croke Park next to tackle France, will know they can play much better than they did today. But the title campaign is on track.
O'Driscoll, wary of how Ireland were stung at the Millennium Stadium two years ago, had spoken of how vital it would be to make a fast start.
And the captain showed the way. He chased hard as Peter Stringer put home debutant Chris Czekaj under pressure with a kick into the corner and he charged down Stephen Jones' attempted clearance.
Ulster hooker Best was hot on O'Driscoll's heels, collected the loose ball and charged over the line from five yards out to score the opening try.
Time on the clock? Forty-eight seconds. O'Driscoll had his start.
Ireland's urgency continued. Their suspect front row got a decent shove on in the first scrum and Wales were being forced back in the tackle.
But Jones was determined to orchestrate an immediate response and twice Wales stretched Ireland down the right wing with Jamie Robinson sending Hal Luscombe clear.
The Harlequins centre, forced onto the wing by Thomas' suspension, lacks the pace of a Shane Williams and Girvan Dempsey not only covered well but helped Ireland earn penalties on each occasion.
The Irish almost extended their lead after a clever break down the blind side but Denis Hickie's offload just evaded David Wallace with the try-line begging.
O'Gara, whose goal-kicking was fallible in that 2005 defeat, added a missed penalty to his missed conversion.
Instead, Wales launched a spirited recovery and dominated the next 30 minutes as Jones wiped out that early try with three successful penalties.
Wales had Ireland in all sorts of bother. Jones sliced through the defence with an excellent midfield run, James Hook was enjoying possession on the front foot and Kevin Morgan countered from inside his own half with a bold chip into space.
Wales moved into the lead after Ireland were penalised for pulling down a maul as Ryan Jones was driven forward from an attacking lineout.
Jones extended the advantage to 9-5 after some brilliant attacking rugby had forced Ireland to concede again inside their own 22.
This was the ``Welsh way'' head coach Gareth Jenkins had urged - high tempo, exuberant rugby, with quick hands and some clever movement.
But without so many key players Wales could not make their dominance count and it proved costly.
After an extraordinary 60-metre kick from O'Gara Ireland had pushed Wales deep into their own 22, the ball was swung wide and O'Driscoll wriggled past Czekaj to score in the corner.
Ireland bossed the last 10 minutes of the half as they had the first. Two periods of pressure and two tries earned them a 12-9 lead at the interval.
Wales came out of the blocks quickly after the restart and had strong claims for a penalty try after Czekaj, chasing his own grubber kick, was hauled down
short of the line by Simon Easterby.
O'Gara pushed Wales back but with Ireland in a dangerous position Martyn Williams stole the lineout and Jones cleared from his own line.
The third quarter passed without any addition to the score as the error-count ticked ever higher. The game was tight and tense but the skill level was low.
Hook was carelessly caught in possession as he dawdled over a penalty clearance, Ireland turned over the ball and then set up camp on the Wales line.
The Wales defence held firm as Easterby thrust for the line but could not escape the Irish noose. O'Gara strangled Jones for time and another charge-down kept Ireland in Wales territory.
D'Arcy burst for the line and was stopped inches short but O'Gara, after such a disappointing first 70 minutes, picked up the recycled ball and held off Hook's tackle to touch down in the corner.
Italy 3:
Pens:- Pez
France: 39
Tries: Dominici, Heymans, Chabal 2, Jauzion
Cons: Skrela 4
Pens: Skrela, Beauxis
France got off to a dream start in the 2007 6 nations by defeating Italy ion na dominating victory. France ran 5 tries past the poor Italians with Skerla converting 4 out 5 and slotting over a penalty and Beauxis adding his name to the scoreboard with a penalty aswell.
Italy's game was plagued by mistakes and mainly unforced errors, even the conversions were off a poor standard and to loose at home by such a large margin is an embarrasment.
In the second half France resorted to old school brut force to make the gain line and force the ball over the line, and the back when set loose were just so fluent, linking together really well.
Overall a well deserved win by France
England v Scotland
England: 42
Tries: Robinson 2, Wilkinso, Lund
Cons: Wilkinson 5
Pens: Wilkinson 2
Drop-goal: Wilkinson
Scotland: 20
Tries: Taylor, Dewey
Cons: Paterson 2
Pens: Paterson 2
Now Scotland have failed to win away from home against England for a long 25 years, but with the help of the TV ref. I missed the 1st half so i will not comment on it, as i was at work. England did use the power of the forwards to try and pressure Scotland into mistakes, which did pay off. Wilkinson played boring kick rugby and so did Dan Parks who should be banned from Scottish rugby and sent back downunder. Everytime Scotland regained possension he kicked it away. Sean Lemont as i have said from day one is the 2nd worse player on the team, as you may guess Parks gets no 1 place, never on his wing, missed tackles and passes. No wonder Dewey ran instead of passing to him. Ellis played some of the best rugby of the day matching Cusiters runs. England deserved 2 of there 3 tries, Wilkinsons was clearly not there, andScotland was obstructed by a player offside as they chased down the ball, which would have resulted in a try.
Overall the game was watchable but both teams were poor more than they were good. The ref made too many wrong decitions which effected both teams.
Wales v Ireland
Match Stats
Mins in possession:
1st Half: Wales 15:55, Ireland 15:25
2nd Half: Wales 21:55, Ireland 21:36
Mins in opponents half:
1st Half: Wales 24:18, Ireland 18:59
2nd Half: Wales 26:21, Ireland 22:54
Scrums won:
Wales 7, Ireland 13
Scrums lost:
Wales 0, Ireland 0
Line breaks:
Wales 5, Ireland 5
Penalties conceded:
Wales 7, Ireland 10
Drives from rucks:
Wales 27, Ireland 30
Passes from rucks:
Wales 34, Ireland 29
Mauls won:
Wales 0, Ireland 1
Ball won in open play:
Wales 61, Ireland 60
Ball won in opponent's 22:
Wales 18, Ireland 14
Set piece ball won:
Wales 34, Ireland 34
Tackles made:
Wales 62, Ireland 72
Missed Tackles:
Wales 13, Ireland 8
% Tackles completed:
Wales 82%, Ireland 90%
Off loads in the tackle:
Wales 10, Ireland 7
Errors made:
Wales 23, Ireland 16
Turn over won:
Wales 10, Ireland 13
Free kicks conceded:
Wales 0, Ireland 1
Passes completed:
Wales 125, Ireland 92
Possessions Kicked:
Wales 31, Ireland 35
% Possession Kicked:
Wales 19%, Ireland 27%
Kicked errors:
Wales 6, Ireland 5
Kicked to touch:
Wales 9, Ireland 14
Top Carries:
K Morgan (Wal) 8
J Hook (Wal) 7
J Robinson (Wal) 5
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 4
G D'Arcy (Ire) 4
Top Tacklers:
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 9
D Wallace (Ire) 8
J Hayes (Ire) 8
M Willliams (Wal) 8
P O'Connell (Ire) 7
Most Missed Tackles:
G D'Arcy (Ire) 4
C Czejaj (Wal) 2
J Hook (Wal) 2
R Jones (Wal) 2
AW Jones (Wal) 1
Most Off-Loads:
M Williams (Wal) 3
A Popham (Wal) 3
G D'Arcy (Ire) 2
AW Jones (Wal) 1
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 1
Most Errors:
R O'Gara (Ire) 7
S Jones (Wal) 6
C Czekaj (Wal) 3
D Peel (Wal) 3
G D'Arcy (Ire) 2
Ireland made a winning start to their 2007 RBS Six Nations campaign with a hard-fought 19-9 victory over Wales in a pulsating clash at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Check out our match pack for a full report and action gallery.
Tournament favourites Ireland relied on their best hunter's instincts to launch their RBS 6 Nations campaign with a victory over Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Much was expected of Ireland after their comprehensive autumn victories over South Africa and Australia and they were some way below that level today.
But in the face of a depleted Wales side, it was almost as if Brian O'Driscoll's stalked their prey before choosing their moments to go in for the kill.
Ireland enjoyed three periods of real pressure in the game and were rewarded with a try on each occasion - the first inside a minute, the second just before half-time and the last - to win the game - eight minutes from the end.
Wales won enough possession to have put a major dent in Ireland's title ambitions but without six key members of their back division, they lacked the required killer instinct.All Wales managed were three first-half penalties from fly-half Stephen Jones.
Instead, Ireland taught them how it is done. Huge pressure from the kick-off allowed Rory Best to barrel over the line after just 47 seconds.Wales then bossed the next half hour but Ireland restricted them to those penalties before O'Driscoll struck in the corner.
Ireland then watched and waited. Wales thought they deserved a penalty try soon after the restart but it was denied.
Then they pounced. A darting run from Gordon D'Arcy allowed Ronan O'Gara to force his way over in the corner and seal a victory.
Wales will rue the absences of injured men Mark Jones, Shane Williams, Sonny Parker and Tom Shanklin plus suspended former captain Gareth Thomas.Ireland, who head to Croke Park next to tackle France, will know they can play much better than they did today. But the title campaign is on track.
O'Driscoll, wary of how Ireland were stung at the Millennium Stadium two years ago, had spoken of how vital it would be to make a fast start.
And the captain showed the way. He chased hard as Peter Stringer put home debutant Chris Czekaj under pressure with a kick into the corner and he charged down Stephen Jones' attempted clearance.
Ulster hooker Best was hot on O'Driscoll's heels, collected the loose ball and charged over the line from five yards out to score the opening try.
Time on the clock? Forty-eight seconds. O'Driscoll had his start.
Ireland's urgency continued. Their suspect front row got a decent shove on in the first scrum and Wales were being forced back in the tackle.
But Jones was determined to orchestrate an immediate response and twice Wales stretched Ireland down the right wing with Jamie Robinson sending Hal Luscombe clear.
The Harlequins centre, forced onto the wing by Thomas' suspension, lacks the pace of a Shane Williams and Girvan Dempsey not only covered well but helped Ireland earn penalties on each occasion.
The Irish almost extended their lead after a clever break down the blind side but Denis Hickie's offload just evaded David Wallace with the try-line begging.
O'Gara, whose goal-kicking was fallible in that 2005 defeat, added a missed penalty to his missed conversion.
Instead, Wales launched a spirited recovery and dominated the next 30 minutes as Jones wiped out that early try with three successful penalties.
Wales had Ireland in all sorts of bother. Jones sliced through the defence with an excellent midfield run, James Hook was enjoying possession on the front foot and Kevin Morgan countered from inside his own half with a bold chip into space.
Wales moved into the lead after Ireland were penalised for pulling down a maul as Ryan Jones was driven forward from an attacking lineout.
Jones extended the advantage to 9-5 after some brilliant attacking rugby had forced Ireland to concede again inside their own 22.
This was the ``Welsh way'' head coach Gareth Jenkins had urged - high tempo, exuberant rugby, with quick hands and some clever movement.
But without so many key players Wales could not make their dominance count and it proved costly.
After an extraordinary 60-metre kick from O'Gara Ireland had pushed Wales deep into their own 22, the ball was swung wide and O'Driscoll wriggled past Czekaj to score in the corner.
Ireland bossed the last 10 minutes of the half as they had the first. Two periods of pressure and two tries earned them a 12-9 lead at the interval.
Wales came out of the blocks quickly after the restart and had strong claims for a penalty try after Czekaj, chasing his own grubber kick, was hauled down
short of the line by Simon Easterby.
O'Gara pushed Wales back but with Ireland in a dangerous position Martyn Williams stole the lineout and Jones cleared from his own line.
The third quarter passed without any addition to the score as the error-count ticked ever higher. The game was tight and tense but the skill level was low.
Hook was carelessly caught in possession as he dawdled over a penalty clearance, Ireland turned over the ball and then set up camp on the Wales line.
The Wales defence held firm as Easterby thrust for the line but could not escape the Irish noose. O'Gara strangled Jones for time and another charge-down kept Ireland in Wales territory.
D'Arcy burst for the line and was stopped inches short but O'Gara, after such a disappointing first 70 minutes, picked up the recycled ball and held off Hook's tackle to touch down in the corner.
With the final games coming up the table looks like this:
P W D L F A Pts
1 France 4 3 0 1 109 67 6
2 Ireland 4 3 0 1 98 60 6
3 England 4 3 0 1 101 88 6
4 Italy 4 2 0 2 70 96 4
5 Scotland 4 1 0 3 76 107 2
6 Wales 4 0 0 4 59 95 0
And the final fixtures are:
France v Scotland
Italy v Ireland
Wales v England
The top 4 could all win the title so it should be good however I tip France to beat Scotland by a better margin than Ireland or England should they win (which I think they will) and take the title.
P W D L F A Pts
1 France 4 3 0 1 109 67 6
2 Ireland 4 3 0 1 98 60 6
3 England 4 3 0 1 101 88 6
4 Italy 4 2 0 2 70 96 4
5 Scotland 4 1 0 3 76 107 2
6 Wales 4 0 0 4 59 95 0
And the final fixtures are:
France v Scotland
Italy v Ireland
Wales v England
The top 4 could all win the title so it should be good however I tip France to beat Scotland by a better margin than Ireland or England should they win (which I think they will) and take the title.
WEEK 2
SCOTLAND V WALES
SCOTLAND 21 WALES 9
Scotland claimed a well deserved victory over Wales in their first home match of the RBS 6 Nations in a game which may have lacked tries but certainly made up for it in action, passion and atmosphere.
Both teams’ captains, Chris Paterson and Stephen Jones, were the points scorers – Paterson successfully kicking 7goals from 7 attempts, the highest penalty success for a Scot in the championship – but it was flanker Simon Taylor who won the RBS Man of the Match award on his 50th Test cap for Scotland.
Paterson said: “That was a hard fought game. We fought out a win with a young and relatively inexperienced side but we knew the win would come and I am immensely proud of the team.”
The Scots showed substantially more urgency in their play and a hunger in attack than in previous games, giving them the majority of both possession and territory – a statistic which could usually not be claimed for most of their recent matches against top opposition.
Their readiness to keep the ball in hand and run at the Welsh in attack and their ability to close them down quickly in defence gave the home side the upper hand throughout the majority of the game.
Scotland coach Frank Hadden said: “We were the better side on the day. There was only one side looked likely to score tries and that was us. There’s more to come from this side and I’m really proud of the performance today. It was a well balanced side and the win will be good for their confidence.”
Paterson claimed first points when after a high-paced start he slotted the first of his seven goal attempts. It was not until after those first three points were on the board that Wales enjoyed their first period of sustained possession.
Indeed, shortly after, it was Wales that had the first real chance of a try when back row forward Ryan Jones galloped towards the line However, Scotland’s battling scrum half, Chris Cusiter, hauled Jones down just short of the line and Wales were penalized for not releasing the ball.
That attempt 12 minutes into the game was in the end the closest Wales came to scoring a try as the Scots’ blanket defence worked a treat in diffusing the dangerous running of the Welsh backs and powerful forwards.
Just a minute later, Scotland were tremendously unlucky not to cross for the try when Marcus Di Rollo intercepted a Welsh pass as they were running the ball out of their 22 but he only managed to get fingertips to it and the ball was knocked on.
The majority of the pressure for the first quarter of the game seemed to be all Scotland. Some little slips here and there were frustrating but understandable with the game being played at such a high pace.
Paterson added another three points before Wales responded through a Stephen Jones penalty and even at this relatively early stage in the game, the Scotland supporters had done their team proud with a volume of singing and chanting that Murrayfield has not heard in a fair while.
They even drowned out the usually vocal Welsh faithful.
Wales kept apace with Scotland on the pitch though, the return of Mark Jones to the side after his absence last week made a difference to their defence, as Hugo Southwell would testify when Jones almost cut him in half in a thundering tackle which floored the fullback temporarily.
Alix Popham also had a good showing, disrupting the ball around the edges of the set piece but Scotland’s pressure defence, hardly allowing the Welsh any space to run at them, paid off and the home side went into the break 9-6 ahead through another penalty a-piece.
Scotland’s set piece was strong throughout the game – prompting Wales coach Gareth Jenkins to say afterwards: “Scotland chucked the kitchen sink at us today. They came out of the blocks like a side on a mission. Here, on their day, they’re as good as any. Our lineout fractured under pressure and having 30% of the game isn’t enough to play off.”
Tries looked to be on the cards for Scotland as they had several periods of sustained pressure near the Welsh try line. First replacement prop Allan Jacobsen looked to be over the line as he twisted and turned to ground the ball.
Referee Alan Lewis went to the Television Match Official, Rob Debney, for the decision. The replays showed Jacobsen with the ball, then at another angle, replacement lock Nathan Hines seemed to have his hands on the ball (and a big smile on his face) but in the end, Wales sub Tom Shanklin had managed to get himself in between the ball and the ground .
As the resulting five metre scrum was set, the Scottish crowd went absolutely wild with an immense volume of support for the team, willing them to drive forward. The ball made its way out along the line until centre Rob Dewey, who had made a number of impressive breaks earlier in the game, made another midfield dash from the breakdown and was under the posts and over the try line, but in his dash for the whitewash, he’d bumped into the referee and was therefore called back for the penalty.
He was frustrated to say the least but Captain Chris kept the scoreboard ticking over with his kicks (and Jones added one more too).
Wales did not back off their game and kept the pressure on but Scotland kept their attacks contained and sealed the victory with a final Paterson penalty bringing the final score to Scotland 21 Wales 9.
3-0: Chris Paterson penalty (4 mins)
6-0: Chris Paterson penalty (17 mins)
6-3: Stephen Jones penalty (23 mins)
9-3: Chris Paterson penalty (35 mins)
9-6: Stephen Jones penalty (38 mins)
HALF TIME
12-6: Chris Paterson penalty (47 mins)
15-6: Chris Paterson penalty (50 mins)
15-9: Stephen Jones penalty (53 mins)
Rhys Thomas sin binned (56 mins)
18-9: Chris Paterson penalty (57 mins)
21-9: Chris Paterson penalty (77 mins)
FINAL SCORE
Scotland: Hugo Southwell, Sean Lamont (Walker 69 mins), Marcus Di Rollo, Rob Dewey, Chris Paterson (capt), Phil Godman (Webster 69 mins), Chris Cusiter (Lawson 73 mins), Gavin Kerr (Jacobsen 55 mins), Dougie Hall (Ford 67 mins), Euan Murray, James Hamilton (Nathan Hines 48 mins), Scott Murray, Simon Taylor, Kelly Brown (Hogg 55 mins), David Callam.
Replacements: Ross Ford, Allan Jacobsen, Nathan Hines, Allister Hogg, Rory Lawson, Simon Webster, Nikki Walker.
Wales: Kevin Morgan (Sweeney 45 – 51 mins), Mark Jones, Jamie Robinson, James Hook (Shanklin 40 mins), Chris Czekaj; Stephen Jones (capt), Dwayne Peel; Duncan Jones (Jenkins 58 mins), Rhys Thomas (Rees 66 mins), Adam Jones, Robert Sildoli (Gough 51 mins), Alun-Wyn Jones, Alix Popham, Martyn Williams (Rees 58 mins, J Thomas 66 mins)), Rhys Jones.
Replacements: Matthew Rees, Gethin Jenkins, Ian Gough, Jonathan Thomas, Michael Phillips, Ceri Sweeney, Tom Shanklin
Haven't seen any of the other matches yet, will try to and add a report
SCOTLAND V WALES
SCOTLAND 21 WALES 9
Scotland claimed a well deserved victory over Wales in their first home match of the RBS 6 Nations in a game which may have lacked tries but certainly made up for it in action, passion and atmosphere.
Both teams’ captains, Chris Paterson and Stephen Jones, were the points scorers – Paterson successfully kicking 7goals from 7 attempts, the highest penalty success for a Scot in the championship – but it was flanker Simon Taylor who won the RBS Man of the Match award on his 50th Test cap for Scotland.
Paterson said: “That was a hard fought game. We fought out a win with a young and relatively inexperienced side but we knew the win would come and I am immensely proud of the team.”
The Scots showed substantially more urgency in their play and a hunger in attack than in previous games, giving them the majority of both possession and territory – a statistic which could usually not be claimed for most of their recent matches against top opposition.
Their readiness to keep the ball in hand and run at the Welsh in attack and their ability to close them down quickly in defence gave the home side the upper hand throughout the majority of the game.
Scotland coach Frank Hadden said: “We were the better side on the day. There was only one side looked likely to score tries and that was us. There’s more to come from this side and I’m really proud of the performance today. It was a well balanced side and the win will be good for their confidence.”
Paterson claimed first points when after a high-paced start he slotted the first of his seven goal attempts. It was not until after those first three points were on the board that Wales enjoyed their first period of sustained possession.
Indeed, shortly after, it was Wales that had the first real chance of a try when back row forward Ryan Jones galloped towards the line However, Scotland’s battling scrum half, Chris Cusiter, hauled Jones down just short of the line and Wales were penalized for not releasing the ball.
That attempt 12 minutes into the game was in the end the closest Wales came to scoring a try as the Scots’ blanket defence worked a treat in diffusing the dangerous running of the Welsh backs and powerful forwards.
Just a minute later, Scotland were tremendously unlucky not to cross for the try when Marcus Di Rollo intercepted a Welsh pass as they were running the ball out of their 22 but he only managed to get fingertips to it and the ball was knocked on.
The majority of the pressure for the first quarter of the game seemed to be all Scotland. Some little slips here and there were frustrating but understandable with the game being played at such a high pace.
Paterson added another three points before Wales responded through a Stephen Jones penalty and even at this relatively early stage in the game, the Scotland supporters had done their team proud with a volume of singing and chanting that Murrayfield has not heard in a fair while.
They even drowned out the usually vocal Welsh faithful.
Wales kept apace with Scotland on the pitch though, the return of Mark Jones to the side after his absence last week made a difference to their defence, as Hugo Southwell would testify when Jones almost cut him in half in a thundering tackle which floored the fullback temporarily.
Alix Popham also had a good showing, disrupting the ball around the edges of the set piece but Scotland’s pressure defence, hardly allowing the Welsh any space to run at them, paid off and the home side went into the break 9-6 ahead through another penalty a-piece.
Scotland’s set piece was strong throughout the game – prompting Wales coach Gareth Jenkins to say afterwards: “Scotland chucked the kitchen sink at us today. They came out of the blocks like a side on a mission. Here, on their day, they’re as good as any. Our lineout fractured under pressure and having 30% of the game isn’t enough to play off.”
Tries looked to be on the cards for Scotland as they had several periods of sustained pressure near the Welsh try line. First replacement prop Allan Jacobsen looked to be over the line as he twisted and turned to ground the ball.
Referee Alan Lewis went to the Television Match Official, Rob Debney, for the decision. The replays showed Jacobsen with the ball, then at another angle, replacement lock Nathan Hines seemed to have his hands on the ball (and a big smile on his face) but in the end, Wales sub Tom Shanklin had managed to get himself in between the ball and the ground .
As the resulting five metre scrum was set, the Scottish crowd went absolutely wild with an immense volume of support for the team, willing them to drive forward. The ball made its way out along the line until centre Rob Dewey, who had made a number of impressive breaks earlier in the game, made another midfield dash from the breakdown and was under the posts and over the try line, but in his dash for the whitewash, he’d bumped into the referee and was therefore called back for the penalty.
He was frustrated to say the least but Captain Chris kept the scoreboard ticking over with his kicks (and Jones added one more too).
Wales did not back off their game and kept the pressure on but Scotland kept their attacks contained and sealed the victory with a final Paterson penalty bringing the final score to Scotland 21 Wales 9.
3-0: Chris Paterson penalty (4 mins)
6-0: Chris Paterson penalty (17 mins)
6-3: Stephen Jones penalty (23 mins)
9-3: Chris Paterson penalty (35 mins)
9-6: Stephen Jones penalty (38 mins)
HALF TIME
12-6: Chris Paterson penalty (47 mins)
15-6: Chris Paterson penalty (50 mins)
15-9: Stephen Jones penalty (53 mins)
Rhys Thomas sin binned (56 mins)
18-9: Chris Paterson penalty (57 mins)
21-9: Chris Paterson penalty (77 mins)
FINAL SCORE
Scotland: Hugo Southwell, Sean Lamont (Walker 69 mins), Marcus Di Rollo, Rob Dewey, Chris Paterson (capt), Phil Godman (Webster 69 mins), Chris Cusiter (Lawson 73 mins), Gavin Kerr (Jacobsen 55 mins), Dougie Hall (Ford 67 mins), Euan Murray, James Hamilton (Nathan Hines 48 mins), Scott Murray, Simon Taylor, Kelly Brown (Hogg 55 mins), David Callam.
Replacements: Ross Ford, Allan Jacobsen, Nathan Hines, Allister Hogg, Rory Lawson, Simon Webster, Nikki Walker.
Wales: Kevin Morgan (Sweeney 45 – 51 mins), Mark Jones, Jamie Robinson, James Hook (Shanklin 40 mins), Chris Czekaj; Stephen Jones (capt), Dwayne Peel; Duncan Jones (Jenkins 58 mins), Rhys Thomas (Rees 66 mins), Adam Jones, Robert Sildoli (Gough 51 mins), Alun-Wyn Jones, Alix Popham, Martyn Williams (Rees 58 mins, J Thomas 66 mins)), Rhys Jones.
Replacements: Matthew Rees, Gethin Jenkins, Ian Gough, Jonathan Thomas, Michael Phillips, Ceri Sweeney, Tom Shanklin
Haven't seen any of the other matches yet, will try to and add a report
ITALY V FRANCE
Italy 3:
Pens:- Pez
France: 39
Tries: Dominici, Heymans, Chabal 2, Jauzion
Cons: Skrela 4
Pens: Skrela, Beauxis
France got off to a dream start in the 2007 6 nations by defeating Italy ion na dominating victory. France ran 5 tries past the poor Italians with Skerla converting 4 out 5 and slotting over a penalty and Beauxis adding his name to the scoreboard with a penalty aswell.
Italy's game was plagued by mistakes and mainly unforced errors, even the conversions were off a poor standard and to loose at home by such a large margin is an embarrasment.
In the second half France resorted to old school brut force to make the gain line and force the ball over the line, and the back when set loose were just so fluent, linking together really well.
Overall a well deserved win by France
England v Scotland
England: 42
Tries: Robinson 2, Wilkinso, Lund
Cons: Wilkinson 5
Pens: Wilkinson 2
Drop-goal: Wilkinson
Scotland: 20
Tries: Taylor, Dewey
Cons: Paterson 2
Pens: Paterson 2
Now Scotland have failed to win away from home against England for a long 25 years, but with the help of the TV ref. I missed the 1st half so i will not comment on it, as i was at work. England did use the power of the forwards to try and pressure Scotland into mistakes, which did pay off. Wilkinson played boring kick rugby and so did Dan Parks who should be banned from Scottish rugby and sent back downunder. Everytime Scotland regained possension he kicked it away. Sean Lemont as i have said from day one is the 2nd worse player on the team, as you may guess Parks gets no 1 place, never on his wing, missed tackles and passes. No wonder Dewey ran instead of passing to him. Ellis played some of the best rugby of the day matching Cusiters runs. England deserved 2 of there 3 tries, Wilkinsons was clearly not there, andScotland was obstructed by a player offside as they chased down the ball, which would have resulted in a try.
Overall the game was watchable but both teams were poor more than they were good. The ref made too many wrong decitions which effected both teams.
Wales v Ireland
Match Stats
Mins in possession:
1st Half: Wales 15:55, Ireland 15:25
2nd Half: Wales 21:55, Ireland 21:36
Mins in opponents half:
1st Half: Wales 24:18, Ireland 18:59
2nd Half: Wales 26:21, Ireland 22:54
Scrums won:
Wales 7, Ireland 13
Scrums lost:
Wales 0, Ireland 0
Line breaks:
Wales 5, Ireland 5
Penalties conceded:
Wales 7, Ireland 10
Drives from rucks:
Wales 27, Ireland 30
Passes from rucks:
Wales 34, Ireland 29
Mauls won:
Wales 0, Ireland 1
Ball won in open play:
Wales 61, Ireland 60
Ball won in opponent's 22:
Wales 18, Ireland 14
Set piece ball won:
Wales 34, Ireland 34
Tackles made:
Wales 62, Ireland 72
Missed Tackles:
Wales 13, Ireland 8
% Tackles completed:
Wales 82%, Ireland 90%
Off loads in the tackle:
Wales 10, Ireland 7
Errors made:
Wales 23, Ireland 16
Turn over won:
Wales 10, Ireland 13
Free kicks conceded:
Wales 0, Ireland 1
Passes completed:
Wales 125, Ireland 92
Possessions Kicked:
Wales 31, Ireland 35
% Possession Kicked:
Wales 19%, Ireland 27%
Kicked errors:
Wales 6, Ireland 5
Kicked to touch:
Wales 9, Ireland 14
Top Carries:
K Morgan (Wal) 8
J Hook (Wal) 7
J Robinson (Wal) 5
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 4
G D'Arcy (Ire) 4
Top Tacklers:
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 9
D Wallace (Ire) 8
J Hayes (Ire) 8
M Willliams (Wal) 8
P O'Connell (Ire) 7
Most Missed Tackles:
G D'Arcy (Ire) 4
C Czejaj (Wal) 2
J Hook (Wal) 2
R Jones (Wal) 2
AW Jones (Wal) 1
Most Off-Loads:
M Williams (Wal) 3
A Popham (Wal) 3
G D'Arcy (Ire) 2
AW Jones (Wal) 1
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 1
Most Errors:
R O'Gara (Ire) 7
S Jones (Wal) 6
C Czekaj (Wal) 3
D Peel (Wal) 3
G D'Arcy (Ire) 2
Ireland made a winning start to their 2007 RBS Six Nations campaign with a hard-fought 19-9 victory over Wales in a pulsating clash at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Check out our match pack for a full report and action gallery.
Tournament favourites Ireland relied on their best hunter's instincts to launch their RBS 6 Nations campaign with a victory over Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Much was expected of Ireland after their comprehensive autumn victories over South Africa and Australia and they were some way below that level today.
But in the face of a depleted Wales side, it was almost as if Brian O'Driscoll's stalked their prey before choosing their moments to go in for the kill.
Ireland enjoyed three periods of real pressure in the game and were rewarded with a try on each occasion - the first inside a minute, the second just before half-time and the last - to win the game - eight minutes from the end.
Wales won enough possession to have put a major dent in Ireland's title ambitions but without six key members of their back division, they lacked the required killer instinct.All Wales managed were three first-half penalties from fly-half Stephen Jones.
Instead, Ireland taught them how it is done. Huge pressure from the kick-off allowed Rory Best to barrel over the line after just 47 seconds.Wales then bossed the next half hour but Ireland restricted them to those penalties before O'Driscoll struck in the corner.
Ireland then watched and waited. Wales thought they deserved a penalty try soon after the restart but it was denied.
Then they pounced. A darting run from Gordon D'Arcy allowed Ronan O'Gara to force his way over in the corner and seal a victory.
Wales will rue the absences of injured men Mark Jones, Shane Williams, Sonny Parker and Tom Shanklin plus suspended former captain Gareth Thomas.Ireland, who head to Croke Park next to tackle France, will know they can play much better than they did today. But the title campaign is on track.
O'Driscoll, wary of how Ireland were stung at the Millennium Stadium two years ago, had spoken of how vital it would be to make a fast start.
And the captain showed the way. He chased hard as Peter Stringer put home debutant Chris Czekaj under pressure with a kick into the corner and he charged down Stephen Jones' attempted clearance.
Ulster hooker Best was hot on O'Driscoll's heels, collected the loose ball and charged over the line from five yards out to score the opening try.
Time on the clock? Forty-eight seconds. O'Driscoll had his start.
Ireland's urgency continued. Their suspect front row got a decent shove on in the first scrum and Wales were being forced back in the tackle.
But Jones was determined to orchestrate an immediate response and twice Wales stretched Ireland down the right wing with Jamie Robinson sending Hal Luscombe clear.
The Harlequins centre, forced onto the wing by Thomas' suspension, lacks the pace of a Shane Williams and Girvan Dempsey not only covered well but helped Ireland earn penalties on each occasion.
The Irish almost extended their lead after a clever break down the blind side but Denis Hickie's offload just evaded David Wallace with the try-line begging.
O'Gara, whose goal-kicking was fallible in that 2005 defeat, added a missed penalty to his missed conversion.
Instead, Wales launched a spirited recovery and dominated the next 30 minutes as Jones wiped out that early try with three successful penalties.
Wales had Ireland in all sorts of bother. Jones sliced through the defence with an excellent midfield run, James Hook was enjoying possession on the front foot and Kevin Morgan countered from inside his own half with a bold chip into space.
Wales moved into the lead after Ireland were penalised for pulling down a maul as Ryan Jones was driven forward from an attacking lineout.
Jones extended the advantage to 9-5 after some brilliant attacking rugby had forced Ireland to concede again inside their own 22.
This was the ``Welsh way'' head coach Gareth Jenkins had urged - high tempo, exuberant rugby, with quick hands and some clever movement.
But without so many key players Wales could not make their dominance count and it proved costly.
After an extraordinary 60-metre kick from O'Gara Ireland had pushed Wales deep into their own 22, the ball was swung wide and O'Driscoll wriggled past Czekaj to score in the corner.
Ireland bossed the last 10 minutes of the half as they had the first. Two periods of pressure and two tries earned them a 12-9 lead at the interval.
Wales came out of the blocks quickly after the restart and had strong claims for a penalty try after Czekaj, chasing his own grubber kick, was hauled down
short of the line by Simon Easterby.
O'Gara pushed Wales back but with Ireland in a dangerous position Martyn Williams stole the lineout and Jones cleared from his own line.
The third quarter passed without any addition to the score as the error-count ticked ever higher. The game was tight and tense but the skill level was low.
Hook was carelessly caught in possession as he dawdled over a penalty clearance, Ireland turned over the ball and then set up camp on the Wales line.
The Wales defence held firm as Easterby thrust for the line but could not escape the Irish noose. O'Gara strangled Jones for time and another charge-down kept Ireland in Wales territory.
D'Arcy burst for the line and was stopped inches short but O'Gara, after such a disappointing first 70 minutes, picked up the recycled ball and held off Hook's tackle to touch down in the corner.
Italy 3:
Pens:- Pez
France: 39
Tries: Dominici, Heymans, Chabal 2, Jauzion
Cons: Skrela 4
Pens: Skrela, Beauxis
France got off to a dream start in the 2007 6 nations by defeating Italy ion na dominating victory. France ran 5 tries past the poor Italians with Skerla converting 4 out 5 and slotting over a penalty and Beauxis adding his name to the scoreboard with a penalty aswell.
Italy's game was plagued by mistakes and mainly unforced errors, even the conversions were off a poor standard and to loose at home by such a large margin is an embarrasment.
In the second half France resorted to old school brut force to make the gain line and force the ball over the line, and the back when set loose were just so fluent, linking together really well.
Overall a well deserved win by France
England v Scotland
England: 42
Tries: Robinson 2, Wilkinso, Lund
Cons: Wilkinson 5
Pens: Wilkinson 2
Drop-goal: Wilkinson
Scotland: 20
Tries: Taylor, Dewey
Cons: Paterson 2
Pens: Paterson 2
Now Scotland have failed to win away from home against England for a long 25 years, but with the help of the TV ref. I missed the 1st half so i will not comment on it, as i was at work. England did use the power of the forwards to try and pressure Scotland into mistakes, which did pay off. Wilkinson played boring kick rugby and so did Dan Parks who should be banned from Scottish rugby and sent back downunder. Everytime Scotland regained possension he kicked it away. Sean Lemont as i have said from day one is the 2nd worse player on the team, as you may guess Parks gets no 1 place, never on his wing, missed tackles and passes. No wonder Dewey ran instead of passing to him. Ellis played some of the best rugby of the day matching Cusiters runs. England deserved 2 of there 3 tries, Wilkinsons was clearly not there, andScotland was obstructed by a player offside as they chased down the ball, which would have resulted in a try.
Overall the game was watchable but both teams were poor more than they were good. The ref made too many wrong decitions which effected both teams.
Wales v Ireland
Match Stats
Mins in possession:
1st Half: Wales 15:55, Ireland 15:25
2nd Half: Wales 21:55, Ireland 21:36
Mins in opponents half:
1st Half: Wales 24:18, Ireland 18:59
2nd Half: Wales 26:21, Ireland 22:54
Scrums won:
Wales 7, Ireland 13
Scrums lost:
Wales 0, Ireland 0
Line breaks:
Wales 5, Ireland 5
Penalties conceded:
Wales 7, Ireland 10
Drives from rucks:
Wales 27, Ireland 30
Passes from rucks:
Wales 34, Ireland 29
Mauls won:
Wales 0, Ireland 1
Ball won in open play:
Wales 61, Ireland 60
Ball won in opponent's 22:
Wales 18, Ireland 14
Set piece ball won:
Wales 34, Ireland 34
Tackles made:
Wales 62, Ireland 72
Missed Tackles:
Wales 13, Ireland 8
% Tackles completed:
Wales 82%, Ireland 90%
Off loads in the tackle:
Wales 10, Ireland 7
Errors made:
Wales 23, Ireland 16
Turn over won:
Wales 10, Ireland 13
Free kicks conceded:
Wales 0, Ireland 1
Passes completed:
Wales 125, Ireland 92
Possessions Kicked:
Wales 31, Ireland 35
% Possession Kicked:
Wales 19%, Ireland 27%
Kicked errors:
Wales 6, Ireland 5
Kicked to touch:
Wales 9, Ireland 14
Top Carries:
K Morgan (Wal) 8
J Hook (Wal) 7
J Robinson (Wal) 5
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 4
G D'Arcy (Ire) 4
Top Tacklers:
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 9
D Wallace (Ire) 8
J Hayes (Ire) 8
M Willliams (Wal) 8
P O'Connell (Ire) 7
Most Missed Tackles:
G D'Arcy (Ire) 4
C Czejaj (Wal) 2
J Hook (Wal) 2
R Jones (Wal) 2
AW Jones (Wal) 1
Most Off-Loads:
M Williams (Wal) 3
A Popham (Wal) 3
G D'Arcy (Ire) 2
AW Jones (Wal) 1
B O'Driscoll (Ire) 1
Most Errors:
R O'Gara (Ire) 7
S Jones (Wal) 6
C Czekaj (Wal) 3
D Peel (Wal) 3
G D'Arcy (Ire) 2
Ireland made a winning start to their 2007 RBS Six Nations campaign with a hard-fought 19-9 victory over Wales in a pulsating clash at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Check out our match pack for a full report and action gallery.
Tournament favourites Ireland relied on their best hunter's instincts to launch their RBS 6 Nations campaign with a victory over Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Much was expected of Ireland after their comprehensive autumn victories over South Africa and Australia and they were some way below that level today.
But in the face of a depleted Wales side, it was almost as if Brian O'Driscoll's stalked their prey before choosing their moments to go in for the kill.
Ireland enjoyed three periods of real pressure in the game and were rewarded with a try on each occasion - the first inside a minute, the second just before half-time and the last - to win the game - eight minutes from the end.
Wales won enough possession to have put a major dent in Ireland's title ambitions but without six key members of their back division, they lacked the required killer instinct.All Wales managed were three first-half penalties from fly-half Stephen Jones.
Instead, Ireland taught them how it is done. Huge pressure from the kick-off allowed Rory Best to barrel over the line after just 47 seconds.Wales then bossed the next half hour but Ireland restricted them to those penalties before O'Driscoll struck in the corner.
Ireland then watched and waited. Wales thought they deserved a penalty try soon after the restart but it was denied.
Then they pounced. A darting run from Gordon D'Arcy allowed Ronan O'Gara to force his way over in the corner and seal a victory.
Wales will rue the absences of injured men Mark Jones, Shane Williams, Sonny Parker and Tom Shanklin plus suspended former captain Gareth Thomas.Ireland, who head to Croke Park next to tackle France, will know they can play much better than they did today. But the title campaign is on track.
O'Driscoll, wary of how Ireland were stung at the Millennium Stadium two years ago, had spoken of how vital it would be to make a fast start.
And the captain showed the way. He chased hard as Peter Stringer put home debutant Chris Czekaj under pressure with a kick into the corner and he charged down Stephen Jones' attempted clearance.
Ulster hooker Best was hot on O'Driscoll's heels, collected the loose ball and charged over the line from five yards out to score the opening try.
Time on the clock? Forty-eight seconds. O'Driscoll had his start.
Ireland's urgency continued. Their suspect front row got a decent shove on in the first scrum and Wales were being forced back in the tackle.
But Jones was determined to orchestrate an immediate response and twice Wales stretched Ireland down the right wing with Jamie Robinson sending Hal Luscombe clear.
The Harlequins centre, forced onto the wing by Thomas' suspension, lacks the pace of a Shane Williams and Girvan Dempsey not only covered well but helped Ireland earn penalties on each occasion.
The Irish almost extended their lead after a clever break down the blind side but Denis Hickie's offload just evaded David Wallace with the try-line begging.
O'Gara, whose goal-kicking was fallible in that 2005 defeat, added a missed penalty to his missed conversion.
Instead, Wales launched a spirited recovery and dominated the next 30 minutes as Jones wiped out that early try with three successful penalties.
Wales had Ireland in all sorts of bother. Jones sliced through the defence with an excellent midfield run, James Hook was enjoying possession on the front foot and Kevin Morgan countered from inside his own half with a bold chip into space.
Wales moved into the lead after Ireland were penalised for pulling down a maul as Ryan Jones was driven forward from an attacking lineout.
Jones extended the advantage to 9-5 after some brilliant attacking rugby had forced Ireland to concede again inside their own 22.
This was the ``Welsh way'' head coach Gareth Jenkins had urged - high tempo, exuberant rugby, with quick hands and some clever movement.
But without so many key players Wales could not make their dominance count and it proved costly.
After an extraordinary 60-metre kick from O'Gara Ireland had pushed Wales deep into their own 22, the ball was swung wide and O'Driscoll wriggled past Czekaj to score in the corner.
Ireland bossed the last 10 minutes of the half as they had the first. Two periods of pressure and two tries earned them a 12-9 lead at the interval.
Wales came out of the blocks quickly after the restart and had strong claims for a penalty try after Czekaj, chasing his own grubber kick, was hauled down
short of the line by Simon Easterby.
O'Gara pushed Wales back but with Ireland in a dangerous position Martyn Williams stole the lineout and Jones cleared from his own line.
The third quarter passed without any addition to the score as the error-count ticked ever higher. The game was tight and tense but the skill level was low.
Hook was carelessly caught in possession as he dawdled over a penalty clearance, Ireland turned over the ball and then set up camp on the Wales line.
The Wales defence held firm as Easterby thrust for the line but could not escape the Irish noose. O'Gara strangled Jones for time and another charge-down kept Ireland in Wales territory.
D'Arcy burst for the line and was stopped inches short but O'Gara, after such a disappointing first 70 minutes, picked up the recycled ball and held off Hook's tackle to touch down in the corner.