RBS 6 Nations: Round 3 Review
Despite being edged out by England, Joe Schmidt’s Ireland team still top the RBS 6 Nations standings after three rounds. Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny is the leading points scorer with 33 points and six players have scored two tries each, including Ireland’s Rob Kearney.
2014 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Friday, February 21-Saturday, February 22
ROUND 3 REVIEW –
WALES (20) 27 FRANCE (6) 6, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
WALES: 15 Leigh Halfpenny (5 penalties and 1 conversion); 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 George North (1 try), 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Liam Williams; 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Rhys Webb; 1 Gethin Jenkins, 2 Richard Hibbard, 3 Adam Jones, 4 Luke Charteris, 5 Jake Ball, 6 Dan Lydiate, 7 Sam Warburton (capt) (1 try), 8 Toby Faletau.
Replacements used: Paul James for Lydiate (50 mins), Ken Owens for Hibbard (56), Dan Lydiate for James (62), Dan Biggar for Priestland, James Hook for Halfpenny, Justin Tipuric for Lydiate, Paul James for Jenkins, Rhodri Jones for A Jones, Andrew Coombs for Ball, Mike Phillips for Webb (all 70).
Test debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.
FRANCE: 15 Brice Dulin; 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Hugo Bonneval; 10 Jules Plisson (1 penalty), 9 Jean Marc Doussain (1 penalty); 1 Thomas Domingo, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 3 Nicolas Mas, 4 Pascal Papé (capt), 5 Yoann Maestri, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 7 Wenceslas Lauret, 8 Louis Picamoles.
Replacements used: Maxime Machenaud for Doussain (half-time), Vincent Debaty for Nyanga (50 mins), Damien Chouly for Debaty (62), Brice Mach for Szarzewski, Remi Tales for Plisson, Sebastien Vahaamahina for Maestri, Yannick Forestier for Thomas Domingo (all 63), Gael Fickou for Bastareaud (70).
Test debut: Brice Mach; Six Nations debuts: Brice Mach, Wenceslas Lauret, Remi Tales.
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland); Attendance: 73,086; RBS 6 Nations man-of-the-match: Gethin Jenkins.
ITALY (13) 20 SCOTLAND (3) 21, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
ITALY: 15 Luke McLean; 14 Angelo Esposito, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Leonardo Sarto; 10 Tommaso Allan (1 try, 1 conversion and 2 penalties), 9 Edoardo Gori; 1 Alberto de Marchi, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 5 Josh Furno (1 try), 6 Alessandro Zanni, 7 Robert Barbieri, 8 Sergio Parisse (capt).
Replacements used: Davide Giazzon for Ghiraldini, Matias Aguero for de Marchi, Lorenzo Cittadini for Castrogiovanni (all 57 mins), Paul Derbyshire for Barbieri, Tobie Botes for Gori (both 63), Luciano Orquera (1 conversion) for Allan (68), Marco Bortolami for Zanni (73). Not used: Tommaso Iannone.
Test debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.
SCOTLAND: 15 Stuart Hogg; 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Alex Dunbar (2 tries), 12 Matthew Scott, 11 Sean Lamont; 10 Duncan Weir (1 conversion and 1 drop goal), 9 Greig Laidlaw (capt) (2 penalties); 1 Ryan Grant, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Moray Low, 4 Richie Gray, 5 James Hamilton, 6 Ryan Wilson, 7 Chris Fusaro, 8 John Beattie.
Replacements used: Geoff Cross for Low (38 mins), Dave Denton for Fusaro (52), Max Evans for Seymour (55), Alasdair Dickinson for Grant (58), Chris Cusiter for Laidlaw (63), Duncan Taylor for Dunbar (72). Not used: Ross Ford, Tim Swinson.
Test debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia); Attendance: 65,000; RBS 6 Nations man-of-the-match: Josh Furno.
ENGLAND (3) 13 IRELAND (0) 10, Twickenham, London
ENGLAND: 15 Mike Brown; 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Luther Burrell, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Jonny May; 10 Owen Farrell (1 conversion and 2 penalties), 9 Danny Care (1 try); 1 Joe Marler, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dave Wilson, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Courtney Lawes, 6 Tom Wood, 7 Chris Robshaw (capt), 8 Billy Vunipola.
Replacements used: Ben Morgan for B Vunipola (36 mins), Mako Vunipola for Marler (63), Henry Thomas for Wilson, Dave Attwood for Wood (both 69), Tom Youngs for Dylan Hartley (74). Not used: Lee Dickson, George Ford, Alex Goode.
Test debuts: None; Six Nations debut: None.
IRELAND: 15 Rob Kearney (1 try); 14 Andrew Trimble, 13 Brian O’Driscoll, 12 Gordon D’Arcy, 11 David Kearney; 10 Jonathan Sexton (1 conversion and 1 penalty), 9 Conor Murray; 1 Cian Healy, 2 Rory Best, 3 Mike Ross, 4 Devin Toner, 5 Paul O’Connell (capt), 6 Peter O’Mahony, 7 Chris Henry, 8 Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements used: Martin Moore for Ross (61 mins), Fergus McFadden for Trimble (65), Iain Henderson for O’Mahony (69), Jack McGrath for Healy (71), Jordi Murphy for Henry, Sean Cronin for Best (both 73), Isaac Boss for Murray, Paddy Jackson for Brian O’Driscoll (both 79).
Test debut: Jordi Murphy; Six Nations debut: Jordi Murphy.
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa); Attendance: 81,555; RBS 6 Nations man-of-the-match: Mike Brown.
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TOP POINTS SCORERS:
33 – Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) (3 conversions and 9 penalties)
32 – Jonathan Sexton (Ireland) (4 conversions and 8 penalties)
24 – Jean-Marc Doussain (France) (3 conversions and 6 penalties)
23 – Owen Farrell (England) (4 conversions and 5 penalties)
21 – Tommaso Allan (Italy) (1 try, 2 conversions and 4 penalties)
12 – Greig Laidlaw (Scotland) (4 penalties)
11 – Danny Care (England) (1 try and 2 drop goals)
TOP TRY SCORERS:
2 – Mike Brown (England), Luther Burrell (England), Michele Campagnaro (Italy), Alex Dunbar (Scotland), Yoann Huget (France), Rob Kearney (Ireland)
TOP GOAL KICKERS:
100% – Maxime Machenaud (France) (2 successful kicks from 2 attempts), Luciano Orquera (Italy) (2/2), Duncan Weir (Scotland) (1/1), Paddy Jackson (Ireland) (1/1), Alex Goode (England) (1/1)
85.71% – Jonathan Sexton (Ireland) (12/14)
80% – Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) (12/15)
64.29% – Jean-Marc Doussain (France (9/14), Owen Farrell (England) (9/14)
60% – Tommaso Allan (Italy) (6/10)
50% – Greig Laidlaw (Scotland) (4/8), Jules Plisson (France) (1/2)
TOP PERFORMERS –
CARRIES:
46 Sergio Parisse (Italy)
40 Louis Picamoles (France)
39 Billy Vunipola (England)
38 Luke McLean (Italy)
37 Rob Kearney (Ireland), Brice Dulin (France)
METRES:
265 Mike Brown (England)
242 Brice Dulin (France)
235 Rob Kearney (Ireland)
216 Luke McLean (Italy)
194 Louis Picamoles (France)
CLEAN BREAKS:
6 Mike Brown (England)
4 Luther Burrell (England), Yoann Huget (France), Wesley Fofana (France), Jonny May (England)
DEFENDERS BEATEN:
13 Jonny May (England), Brice Dulin (France), Mike Brown (England)
11 Louis Picamoles (France)
9 Billy Vunipola (England), Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
PASSES:
246 Conor Murray (Ireland)
194 Greig Laidlaw (Scotland)
188 Danny Care (England)
132 Mike Phillips (Wales)
128 Edoardo Gori (Italy)
KICKS IN PLAY:
37 Rhys Priestland (Wales), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland)
30 Danny Care (England)
28 Jules Plisson (France)
23 Owen Farrell (England)
OFFLOADS:
11 Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
8 Yoann Huget (France), Louis Picamoles (France)
6 Mike Brown (England), Luke McLean (Italy)
TACKLES MADE (MISSES):
43(4) Chris Robshaw (England)
40 Dan Lydiate (Wales)
37(3) Quintin Geldenhuys (Italy)
36(1) Chris Henry (Ireland)
34(4) Joe Launchbury (England)
34(2) Leonardo Ghiraldini (Italy)
TURNOVERS WON:
7 Peter O’Mahony (Ireland)
4 Rory Best (Ireland), Joe Launchbury (England), Jack Nowell (England)
3 Ten players
LINEOUTS WON (INCLUDING STEALS):
22 Courtney Lawes (England)
17 Devin Toner (Ireland)
13 Peter O’Mahony (Ireland)
12 Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
11 Josh Furno (Wales)
