Six Nations Rugby Championship - 2nd Weekend

Today England is playing Italy, and Scotland playing Wales. Tomorrow Ireland is playing France.

The Italians like playing with the sun on their backs, so the cold winter weather of the last four days would not be to their liking. After last weeks game against Scotland, the English supporters were singing the praise of their team. But really the Scots were so weak; no concrete evidence of a recovery can be taken from the game. It will not be until 24th February when they play Ireland that the strength of the English team can be measured. Unless England beat Italy by a margin of over 30 points, it will be seen as a poor performance.

Wales should beat Scotland, but they are still weakened by injuries. After last weeks defeat Scotland will be playing for their pride. Whoever loses today their season will be over, and it will also dent their confidence leading up to the World Cup, to be played later this year.

Tomorrows game is really juice, both Ireland and France have the potential to not only win the Championship but achieve the Grand Slam (winning all their games).They are also the two Northern Hemisphere teams who have the capabilities to challenge, if not New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Ireland have suffered a big blow losing their captain Brian O’Driscoll due to injury. The French like the Italians play their best rugby when they have the sun on their backs. Its finely balanced, hopefully its going to be an open running game.

It's going to be a tense afternoon watching Wales, but first the England vs Italy game.

Did you hear that thump; it was England falling to ground after spending last week in dreamland.

It was as if there was an invisible wall at the Italian 10 metre line through which England could not pass. They had to wait 35 minutes before they got into the Italian 22. Up to that point Wilkinson had kicked penalties at the 3rd, 14th and 24th minute. On the 37th minute Italian forward Marco Portola was sin binned for 10 minutes. In the 39th minute Jason Robinson went over in the corner for a try, which Wilkinson failed to convert, making the half time score England 14 - 0 Italy.

Fifteen minutes into the second half Wilkinson put over another penalty. Virtually all the play in the second half took place in the English half. The Italian pack had full control of the game, and England looked devoid of ideas. Italy got their reward in the 65 minutes with a try under the posts. In the 73rd minute Wilkinson put over his fifth penalty, to make the final score England 20 - 7 Italy.

Two statistics say it all, in the second half Italy had 75% of the possession and territory. Though they won, this was a reality call for England, last week’s performance was a false dawn, in reality they have made little progress since their Autumn Internationals dismal performances.

In the other game of the afternoon Scotland started strong with Wales conceding penalties at the 5th & 18th minute. Wales got a penalty back at the 24th minute to make the score Scotland 6 - 3 Wales. Scotland got a further penalty in the 36th minute, with Stephen Jones putting over a penalty just before half time to make the score Scotland 9 - 6 Wales.

In the second half Wales lost control of their own lineout and Scotland dominated possession. However even when Wales were reduced to fourteen men in the 57th minute with the sin binning of Rhys Thomas Scotland failed to score a try. In the second half Scotland scored 4 penalties to Wales’s one, making the final score Scotland 21 - 9 Wales.

The win will give Scotland confidence for their match against Italy in two weeks, while Wales are left to lick their wounds and pray for inspiration for their visit to Paris.

2007 RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship

So its here at last the first weekend of the 2007 RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship. The sun is shining and there are the usual mixed feelings of expectations, dread, anxiety and excitement. For the 2 ~ 3 hour period the rest of the World will not exist and all attention will be fixed on the ritual leading up to the game, the game and finally the post match analyses - excuses, praising, looking forward to the next match.

One of the lead items on today’s news bulletins is the indefinite suspension of all football matches in Italy, following the killing of a policeman at a match between two Sicilian teams. Hooliganism has been the curse of the sport for decades. How different from rugby. While punches might be thrown, the odd ear bitten or testacies squeezed on the rugby field, each teams supporters will coexist in harmony. Unlike football, there is no segregation of supporters, they commingle, drinking, singing, and teasing each other in the common joy of being present at the game.

Supporters will plan for months, their trips made every two years to Dublin, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Paris, Rome and Twickenham. Each venue having its own very distinct characteristic. Once experienced never to be forgotten the singing at the Millennium Stadium Cardiff - worth a 7 point start to the Welsh team. The Sunshine of Rome. The Welcome of Dublin. The colour and camaraderie of Edinburgh. The brass bands and flying chickens of Paris. The impregnable citadel that is Twickenham.

Last minute flights, buses on motorways, special trains all heading to three locations for the first three games. Today:

England vs. Scotland
Italy vs. France

And tomorrow Wales vs. Ireland.

While winning the championship is the objective, there are a number of subplots. Today England and Scotland will be playing for the Calcutta Cup donated in 1879 by expatriates serving in India. The Home Nations will be aiming to win the Triple Crown, beating the other three countries, and then there is the ultimate Grand Slam, winning all five games. This year there is the added interest of the World Cup to be played in September and October; the Six Nations Championship will be an indication of how well prepared each team is to take on the awesome might of New Zealand.

So much for looking forward. The time has come to put the computer into hibernation, switch on the TV and watch the first game Italy vs. France. Will Italy be able to continue the improvements made each game? Will France be able to recover from a very disappointing show against New Zealand in the autumn?

Italy could have taken an early lead but missed two penalties. France dominated the scrums and lineouts but Italy put up a strong defence until France scored a breakaway try. Italy nearly countered with a try, but a forward tried to score himself rather than pass the ball out to two waiting Italian backs. Following another try for France and penalty for Italy, the score would have been 17 - 3 to France at half time but for a further French try exactly on the 40 minute, giving a half time score of 22 - 3.

Within five minutes of the start of the second half France scored their fourth try. There followed a further try and penalty. The final ten minutes of the game saw Italy make slug like progress from the halfway line, but the French defence was more than adequate to hold the unimaginative Italian attack.

The French dominated the game but with Italy being so disappointing it was difficult to judge how good the French were. The final score was Italy 3 - France 39.

In front of an 82,000 crowd at Twickenham, after ten minutes play England opened the score with a penalty. Scotland came back with a penalty before Jonny Wilkinson put over a drop goal. After a period of probing kicks by Parks, Scotland scored off an England lineout. With the score 6 -10 in Scotland’s favour, the try should have given impetus to Scotland, however England came back with two penalties. In the 36th minute Jason Robinson crossed over in the corner for a try, giving a half time score England 17 Scotland 10.

Two minutes into the second half Scotland scored a penalty. This was followed by two penalties by England - which highlighted the danger of giving away penalties in your own half when Jonny Wilkinson has his kicking boots on. Jason Robison was then gifted a second try making the score England 30 - Scotland 13. In the 66th minute Harry Ellis made a spectacular break passing the ball to Wilkinson - the try was given even though the action replay showed that his right foot was in touch. A further English try followed before Wilkinson was substituted in the 73rd minute. After being out of international rugby since 2003 and having only played 40 minutes of first class rugby Wilkinson’s return was beyond anybodies wildest dreams. Scotland scored a consolation try in the 77th minute to make the final score England 42 - Scotland 20.

While the English performance was a vast improvement on their autumn efforts, it was mainly due to a strong pack providing a platform for Wilkinson’s boot and inspirational play.