Six Nations 2019: Every team from the weekend RATED

This is a weekend where I will look back and say that it was nothing more than a showcase of victimised bullying and punishment. Scotland and Ireland became a scrappy affair, whilst the French were humiliated and quite simply pummelled at Twickenham.

It’s been exciting nonetheless, but it’s been a weird one this weekend, with the word desperation springing to mind for all six teams, and with that said here is my review of the second round of the Six Nations. 

For me personally, I want to praise Ireland, but that wasn’t Scotland against Ireland this weekend, that was more like Scotland against Romain Poite. Every single decision seemed to go against the Scots and yes, some of the penalty calls were correct and undoubtable, but the advantage rule was being used so badly by Poite and it made for one of the worst showings Murrayfield has seen in a long time. The Scots were ultimately out-done by Joey Carberry, who played a fantastic game after replacing Sexton, and the tries by both wingers Jacob Stockdale and Keith Earls. The failure to secure a score before half time despite over 25 phases just five metres from the line was a disaster for the Scots, and the 3-1 try count for Ireland was the sticking point. 

It was never going to be a day for kicking for success with the winds in Edinburgh, but matters weren’t helped by the discipline of some of the players this weekend. Peter O’Mahony knew exactly what he was doing when he hit Stuart Hogg off the ball, as did Jonny Gray with his hit on Johnny Sexton. The game felt more like a battle between mercenaries and we were seeing who could take out the bigger name, with Hogg and Sexton being badly targeted. Even Richie McCaw would probably say they were being roughed up a bit, and he knows more than plenty about being targeted. It was shameful behaviour but it showed just how desperate both teams were to win, as Scotland sought their second win, and Ireland looked to back themselves after a horror show against England. 

For the hype this game received, I was disappointed by the outcome, but Ireland got the job done, and the Scots were left to rue their errors and miss out on winning their first two fixtures for the first time ever in the Six Nations. The mistake by Tommy Seymour and missed tackle count didn’t help in the slightest and instantly it throws me back to last years meeting between the sides where we had a similar sounding story following the contest. Both sides have suffered a devastating loss this campaign, but Ireland have Italy to deal with on the road next, and Scotland travel to Paris where they haven’t won in over two decades; I reckon it’s fair to say they’ll be grateful for the weekend off. 

Four points gained or a bonus point lost? Italy versus Wales was not a tournament highlight, but Gatland’s men got the job done and Italy once again showed promise that failed to turn into a result they so desperately need. It’ll be four years since their last championship win next month, and this was the one game where I have felt they could genuinely bag a precious win, as there was a point when Italy were in control of the game and only three points shy of a lead which was there for the taking. Josh Adams was able to swing the game in the favour of the Welsh, but it still looked massively uncomfortable for the men in red, and it felt like that their attempt of having a B team on the field trying to get the result wasn’t quite going to plan. The same can be said for Ireland’s second best team, you watch them and feel like they can get the result but it won’t be an easy watch for anyone supporting them. 

Inevitably, Wales punctured the holes in Italy’s defence and got through, but given that they’re chasing England for the title, it’s become clear as day that the bonus point they left behind in Rome was so crucial to their bid to win a first trophy since 2012. More often than not, we’ve come to accept this fixture as a squash for Wales given their talent at full strength, but their understudies struggled to handle the likes of Braam Steyn who was outstanding on Saturday. Dan Biggar looked far from his best and made me question whether Gareth Anscombe or Biggar were the solutions for Wales at 10. How badly is Gatland missing Rhys Patchell? 

Other than that there isn’t much else to say for this fixture as for the vast majority it felt rather dull compared to the other two this weekend, but as the tournament goes, Italy will have to keep searching for a first win, and Wales will be praying on a big result in Cardiff in two weeks. How big would a win versus England be? Well put it this way, their record winning run goes up to 12, and their chances to win the title, or even the Grand Slam would go up massively, and imagine that level of hype before a World Cup. Wales have never won the Championship in World Cup year, I think it might be time to start questioning that possibility.

I’ve often sat and asked why Jonny May is the talk of the town so often and why we always hear about this winger from Leicester more than others. This weekend shut me up and proved to me exactly why he England’s next Jason Robinson and why he is one of the best wingers in the Championship. His hat-trick took 30 minutes, England sealed the game in the first 40. That destructive style is exactly what Eddie Jones will be cherishing this tournament as England look set to go for a third title in four years. They’ll need his form for round three for definite as they face a Welsh side on a record breaking 11 game winning run.

France baffled me in this contest, as their highly talented squad were outrageously bad in several areas of the field. The brick wall that is Mathieu Bastareaud was out of form and out of sorts, as were the likes of Gael Fickou, Louis Picamoles and Morgan Parra. The highlight in a bleak squad was the young Demba Bamba, and he’s only fresh into first team action after triumph with the under 20’s last year. He is an absolute unit and then some, and for 20 years of age, there’s no doubt as to why France broke the record for the weight of the pack with Bamba at the front. The devastating thing for Bamba is that all of his effort has gone totally unrecognised as all the attention, if it wasn’t on England’s electric form, was how bad the rest of his team were. The gaping holes at the back made you wonder why England didn’t come away with a cricket score for a result. 

Despite England’s outstanding performance, there was a price to be paid, and that was visible when Tom Curry donned the crimson mask. The French might have been embarrassed, but they left their mark and well and truly battered this England team, and they’ll be praying to the heavens that the week off heals their key men. They’ll need to be 100% fit and ready for a Welsh team that was hardly pushed to it’s best this weekend, especially with big names like George North, Ken Owens, and Justin Tipuric rested for their clash with England. Based on form, you’d assume England would walk over the Welsh, but I wouldn’t be so confident, and this tie could prove to be a bloodbath, but ultimately vital to which team is etched on the trophy March 16.