England turn corner in France thriller to ignite S...

England right back in the Six Nations title race

Steve Borthwick’s England have performed the 2 favourites to raise the Six Nations trophy in Eire and France, and have come out of these video games with six factors.

Bear in mind final week in Dublin? By 76 minutes England have been 27-10 behind, however they struck for 2 late tries to burgle a late shedding bonus-point which can properly show very important.

Elliot Daly’s late winner towards France was their fourth attempt of a pulsating Twickenham tussle and earned them a attempt bonus-point which may show decisive on the enterprise finish of the event.

It means Eire can’t afford to lose a match with no shedding bonus-point now, whereas defeat for France means they need to win in Dublin on March 8.

England, in the meantime, host Scotland and Italy at house earlier than travelling to face Wales in Cardiff of their remaining fixtures.

After flooring France, they may fancy themselves to complete the Six Nations with three additional victories, an end result that would go away them proper within the title shake-up

Have England turned a corner?

After brilliantly defeating Grand Slam-chasing Eire in final 12 months’s Six Nations, England went on to lose their subsequent seven Exams on the spin towards Tier 1 opposition.

They misplaced to France in Lille, New Zealand in Dunedin and Auckland, New Zealand (once more), Australia and South Africa at Allianz Stadium and Eire in Dublin. In each a kind of Exams, Borthwick’s facet surrendered second-half leads.

To maintain going and get better from falling behind with 5 minutes to play towards France, kicking on and profitable the sport, may be an indication England have lastly turned a nook.

“I am actually happy for the gamers, everybody desires that tangible reward. I am very, very pleased with them. They work exceptionally arduous and are a delight to educate. We have all the time believed,” Borthwick stated.

England captain Maro Itoje added: “I am a giant believer within the mantra ‘do not get too excessive with the highs or too low with the lows’. We’ll benefit from the second, this win is particular and it wasn’t simple towards a really proficient French crew.

“We all know there’s a lot in us. We wish to keep constant, and we are going to take an trustworthy look. There’s a complete load we are able to get higher at. It wasn’t good.”

Fabulous Fin Smith looks the man to lead England

The opposite large takeaway on Saturday was the standard of Fin Smith at fly-half on what was his first England begin.

Marcus Smith has gotten the vast majority of the headlines lately, and his tempo with ball in hand is great to look at, however England could have simply discovered a ten to assist them win issues in Northampton’s Fin.

Within the face of a monster Les Bleus pack, the 22-year-old was composed and measured. His kick for Tommy Freeman’s attempt was one thing solely he noticed within the stadium, with groans from followers within the stands turning to cheers because the England wing leapt above Louis Bielle-Biarrey to attain a vital attempt.

He was equally adept with ball in hand, taking part in a perfectly-weighted move to Daly to cost by the French defence, away from Antoine Dupont, and over for the match-winning second.

“I assumed he performed very properly and confirmed nice composure,” Borthwick mirrored after the match. “To play like that in your first Check begin for England is phenomenal.”

England captain Maro Itoje added: “Steve advised the group to be bold and courageous, and exit and try to rating tries. Our backs have been extremely courageous and extremely bold. They took the alternatives when maybe earlier than we’d have taken the conservative possibility. The boys have been courageous and needed to assault towards France.”

France blow yet another Grand Slam chance

Has there been a facet in rugby historical past to have possessed a participant of the standard of Antoine Dupont and didn’t win as a lot as France?

By subsequent 12 months’s Six Nations, Les Bleus’ maestro will probably be 29 and his solely Grand Slam or worldwide title thus far got here in 2022.

France usually are not out of the title race but, after all, and in the event that they go to Dublin and win in Spherical 4 they might turn out to be odds-on to raise the trophy, however what an opportunity at a possible Grand Slam they blew at Twickenham.

Their sheer variety of dealing with errors and errors when in promising attacking positions within the first half and early within the second bordered on astonishing.

France can have large regrets reviewing the Check again and have put themselves beneath large strain now.

Wales plumb new depths

Wales’ 22-15 Guinness Six Nations loss to Italy in a rain-swept Rome left them hurtling in direction of a second successive event wood spoon.

Gatland’s Welsh Rugby Union bosses have promised an in depth evaluate of Six Nations performances after the competitors and issues are hardly probably to enhance on condition that remaining fixtures are towards Eire, Scotland and England.

It was Gatland’s twentieth loss in 26 Exams since returning for a second stint on the helm, an eighth Six Nations reversal in a row and the primary time Wales have suffered back-to-back defeats towards Italy.

Additionally they slumped to a brand new world rating low of twelfth, with Georgia climbing above them following their Rugby Europe Championship victory over the Netherlands in Tbilisi.

For the second week in succession, Wales have hit a brand new low, depths they might by no means have thought doable. With no indication when this distress will finish, it seems a case of when and never if the strain on Gatland’s place tells.

Six Nations fixtures: Round 3

Saturday February 22

Wales vs Eire (2.15pm)
England vs Scotland (4.45pm)

Sunday February 23

Italy vs France (3pm)

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