After last weeks frantic start, I suppose it was only natural that this weekend couldn't live up to expectations, with France v Wales being possibly one of the most boring games in international history, Ireland v England an anticlimax and surprisingly, Scotland v Italy being the most entertaining game. Who would have thought that after the first 2 games, England would be the only side unbeaten and France would be bottom of the championship? Definitely not me, I'm eating my word here.
Murrayfield saw the best attacking game of the round, with Scotland and Italy both looking to play positive rugby from the off, Laidlaw and Jackson both kicked Scotland into good positions resulting in a near try for Visser and Italy having to constantly kick possession away. Matt Scott nearly scored for the home team but Bortes produced a great covering tackle before the pressure started to show and Visser finished well after a nice show and go from Jackson. Both teams looked to have done their homework from the week before as Italy looked to attack around the breakdown but Scotland disrupted the contact area well.
Scotland continued to play well after the break, and scored again when Maitland came into the line and released Scott to go over for his first internationl try while Italy looked a shadow of the side from last week, none more so than Orquera. The fly-half had an awful game and when he made a break and was one-on-one with Hogg, with a player either side of him, he proceeded to fluff the chance and Hogg made the interception before racing off to score for the second week in a row. The Scots continued to disrupt the rucks and Lamont did well to loosen the ball, pick it up and run in for a score before Italy got a consolation try after Zanni went over from a scrum. Scotland will be very happy with their performance with Harley, Brown, Murray and Scott playing well, whereas Italy looked like the side of old, only Favaro looked respectable. Final score, 34-10.
It was then France's turn to host Wales, with many expecting a wounded France to smash the weakened Welsh. This wasn't the case but holy hell was this a boring game, with the focus being the showdown between Bastareaud and Roberts with big collisions involving those two from the off. I'm going to be brutally honest here but I fell asleep due to the game being so bad but I do know a few things; Bastareaud was France's only shining light, North produced a good finish after a chip from Biggar, Michalak was poor again, the game was awful, the final score was 16-6 to the visitors, my predictions are awful.
Sunday's game between Ireland and England was a penalty-fest amid poor handling conditions in a wet Dublin. England scored an early penalty from the boot of Farrell before Ireland started to camp in England's 22, just like last week against Wales. Unlike last week though, their handling let them down and time and time again England were let off due to the conditions. Farrell scored a second penalty before fantasy enthusiasts and Lions selectors will be pulling their hair out after Zebo and Sexton went off injured.
England brought on Tuilagi and Lawes after the break in an effort to add some physicality to the game and Hartley came on to replace Youngs who was having a poor game with the lineouts. Farrell and O'Gara then traded penalties after Haskell got sin-binned and Tuilagi perhaps should have scored after receiving a chip over the try-line but he knocked on. Farrell then kept the scoreline ticking over with another penalty, resulting in the final score of 12-6 to England.
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