RBS 6 Nations: Round 4 Review
Ireland enter the last round of the RBS 6 Nations Championship as the table toppers, holding a +49 points scored advantage over Triple Crown winners England as the title race comes down to the final games in Rome and Paris.
2014 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 8-Sunday, March 9
ROUND 4 REVIEW –
IRELAND (17) 46 ITALY (7) 7, Aviva Stadium, Dublin
IRELAND: 15 Rob Kearney; 14 Andrew Trimble (1 try), 13 Brian O’Driscoll, 12 Gordon D’Arcy, 11 Dave Kearney; 10 Jonathan Sexton (2 tries, 2 conversions and 1 penalty), 9 Conor Murray; 1 Cian Healy (1 try), 2 Rory Best, 3 Mike Ross, 4 Devin Toner, 5 Paul O’Connell (capt), 6 Iain Henderson, 7 Chris Henry, 8 Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements used: Eoin Reddan for Murray (16 mins), Jack McGrath (1 try) for Healy (53), Rhys Ruddock for Henderson (53), Sean Cronin (1 try) for Best (54), Martin Moore for Ross (56), Fergus McFadden (1 try) for O’Driscoll (61), Paddy Jackson (2 conversions) for Sexton (63), Jordi Murphy for Henry (73).
Test debuts: None; Six Nations debut: Rhys Ruddock.
ITALY: 15 Luke McLean; 14 Angelo Esposito, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Leonardo Sarto (1 try); 10 Luciano Orquera (1 conversion), 9 Tito Tebaldi; 1 Alberto de Marchi, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 5 Marco Bortolami (capt), 6 Josh Furno, 7 Paul Derbyshire, 8 Robert Barbieri.
Replacements used: Lorenzo Cittadini for Castrogiovanni (7 mins), Manoa Vosawai for Derbyshire (34-39, temp sub), Michele Rizzo for de Marchi, Vosawai for Derbyshire (both 56), Andrea Masi for Garcia (63), Antonio Pavanello for Bortolami, Tommaso Allan for Orquera (all 63), Davide Giazzon for Ghiraldini, Edoardo Gori for Tebaldi, de Marchi for Cittadini (all 70).
Test debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales); Attendance: 51,000; RBS 6 Nations man-of-the-match: Brian O’Driscoll.
SCOTLAND (14) 17 FRANCE (9) 19, Murrayfield, Edinburgh
SCOTLAND: 15 Stuart Hogg (1 try); 14 Tommy Seymour (1 try), 13 Alex Dunbar, 12 Matthew Scott, 11 Sean Lamont; 10 Duncan Weir (1 penalty), 9 Greig Laidlaw (2 conversion); 1 Ryan Grant, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Geoff Cross, 4 Richie Gray, 5 James Hamilton, 6 John Beattie, 7 Kelly Brown (capt), 8 Dave Denton.
Replacements used: Ryan Wilson for Beattie (16 mins), Max Evans for Lamont (29), Ross Ford for Lawson (51), Tim Swinson for James Hamilton (68). Not used: Moray Low, Euan Murray, Chris Cusiter, Duncan Taylor.
Tests debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.
FRANCE: 15 Brice Dulin; 14 Yoann Huget (1 try), 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Maxime Medard; 10 Jules Plisson, 9 Maxime Machenaud (1 conversion and 3 penalties); 1 Thomas Domingo, 2 Brice Mach, 3 Nicolas Mas, 4 Pascal Papé (capt), 5 Yoann Maestri, 6 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 7 Alexandre Lapandry, 8 Damien Chouly.
Replacements used: Guilhem Guirado for Mach, Remi Tales for Plisson (both 46 mins), Alexandre Flanquart for Maestri, Rabah Slimani for Mas (both 59), Antonie Claassen for Vahaamahina (66), Gael Fickou for Bastareaud, Vincent Debaty for Domingo (both 68), Jean-Marc Doussain (1 penalty) for Machenaud (74).
Test debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.
Referee: CJ Pollock (New Zealand); Attendance: 67,144; RBS 6 Nations man-of-the-match: Dave Denton.
ENGLAND (20) 29 WALES (15) 18, Twickenham, London
ENGLAND: 15 Mike Brown; 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Luther Burrell (1 try), 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Jonny May; 10 Owen Farrell (2 conversions and 5 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 Ben Morgan.
Replacements used: Mako Vunipola for Marler (63 mins), Tom Youngs for Hartley (68), Dave Attwood for Launchbury, Henry Thomas for Wilson (both 72), Lee Dickson for Care, George Ford for Farrell, Tom Johnson for Wood, Alex Goode for Brown (all 78).
Test debut: George Ford; Six Nations debuts: George Ford, Tom Johnson.
WALES: 15 Leigh Halfpenny (6 penalties); 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 George North; 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Rhys Webb; 1 Gethin Jenkins, 2 Richard Hibbard, 3 Adam Jones, 4 Jake Ball, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 6 Dan Lydiate, 7 Sam Warburton (capt), 8 Toby Faletau.
Replacements used: Mike Phillips for Webb (52 mins), Ken Owens for Hibbard (54), Dan Biggar for Priestland (61), Paul James for Jenkins (63), Rhodri Jones for Adam Jones (66), Justin Tipuric for Lydiate, Andrew Coombs for Ball (both 72), Liam Williams for Halfpenny (74).
Test debuts: None; Six Nations debuts: None.
Referee: Romain Poite (France); Attendance: 81,641; RBS 6 Nations man-of-the-match: Courtney Lawes.
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TOP POINTS SCORERS:
51 – Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) (3 conversions and 15 penalties)
49 – Jonathan Sexton (Ireland) (2 tries, 6 conversions and 9 penalties)
42 – Owen Farrell (England) (6 conversions and 10 penalties)
27 – Jean-Marc Doussain (France) (3 conversions and 7 penalties)
21 – Tommaso Allan (Italy) (1 try, 2 conversions and 4 penalties)
16 – Danny Care (England) (2 tries and 2 drop goals)
16 – Greig Laidlaw (Scotland) (2 conversions and 4 penalties)
16 – Maxime Machenaud (France) (2 conversions and 4 penalties)
TOP TRY SCORERS:
3 – Luther Burrell (England), Yoann Huget (France)
2 – Mike Brown (England), Michele Campagnaro (Italy), Danny Care (England), Alex Dunbar (Scotland), Rob Kearney (Ireland), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Andrew Trimble (Ireland)
TOP GOAL KICKERS:
100% – Luciano Orquera (Italy) 3 successful kicks from 3 attempts), Alex Goode (England) (1/1)
85.71% – Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) (18/21), Maxime Machenaud (France) (6/7)
78.95% – Jonathan Sexton (Ireland) (15/19)
76.19% – Owen Farrell (England) (16/21)
75% – Paddy Jackson (Ireland) (3/4)
66.67% – Jean-Marc Doussain (France) (10/15), Duncan Weir (Scotland) (2/3)
60% – Tommaso Allan (Italy) (6/10)
54.55% – Greig Laidlaw (Scotland) (6/11)
50% – Jules Plisson (France) (1/2)
TOP PERFORMERS –
CARRIES:
54 Rob Kearney (Ireland)
52 Jamie Heaslip (Ireland)
51 Brice Dulin (France)
49 Mike Brown (England), Luke McLean (Italy)
METRES:
410 Mike Brown (England)
370 Rob Kearney (Ireland)
317 Brice Dulin (France)
278 Jonny May (England)
277 Yoann Huget (France)
CLEAN BREAKS:
7 Mike Brown (England)
6 Yoann Huget (France)
5 Luther Burrell (England)
4 George North (Wales), Andrew Trimble (Ireland), Wesley Fofana (France), Jonny May (England), Rob Kearney (Ireland), Jamie Roberts (Wales)
DEFENDERS BEATEN:
20 Mike Brown (England)
17 Jonny May (England)
14 Brice Dulin (France)
13 Jack Nowell (England)
12 Leonardo Sarto (Italy)
PASSES:
286 Conor Murray (Ireland)
249 Greig Laidlaw (Scotland)
247 Danny Care (England)
161 Mike Phillips (Wales)
128 Edoardo Gori (Italy)
KICKS IN PLAY:
47 Rhys Priestland (Wales)
42 Jonathan Sexton (Ireland)
38 Danny Care (England)
34 Jules Plisson (France)
33 Owen Farrell (England)
OFFLOADS:
13 Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
11 Yoann Huget (France)
8 Louis Picamoles (France), Brice Dulin (France)
7 Alex Cuthbert (Wales), Maxime Machenaud (France)
TACKLES MADE (MISSES):
60(3) Quintin Geldenhuys (Italy)
55 Dan Lydiate (Wales)
55(8) Chris Robshaw (England)
52(2) Leonardo Ghiraldini (Italy)
52(4) Josh Furno (Italy)
TURNOVERS WON:
7 Peter O’Mahony (Ireland)
5 Chris Henry (Ireland), Mathieu Bastareaud (France), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland)
4 Eight players
LINEOUTS WON (INCLUDING STEALS):
26 Courtney Lawes (England)
24 Devin Toner (Ireland)
15 Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
13 Peter O’Mahony (Ireland)
12 Josh Furno (Wales)
