A fascinating penultimate round of the Guinness Six Nations produced wins for France, Scotland and England.
Here, the PA news agency looks at five things we learned from the three games.
France’s to lose
The final weekend will be lit up by a three-way tussle for the title – but France are undoubtedly in the driving seat. They host Scotland in the climax to the tournament and, even without their injured captain Antoine Dupont, they are overwhelming favourites to produce the victory needed to seize Ireland’s crown. England and Ireland are also in contention, but Les Bleus’ one-point lead at the summit of the table and points difference of plus 106 puts them in a near-unassailable position if they dispatch Finn Russell’s men.
England on the march
After a year of cliff-hangers, England finally eased the nerves of their supporters with a seven-try demolition of Italy. It was their best performance of the Six Nations by a distance, even accounting for a flat period in the second-half and their opponents’ inability to sustain the threat they often posed. Twickenham booed the amount of box kicking against Scotland in round three, but this was far more to fans’ liking as England’s attack clicked into gear. Ambitious and generally well executed, this win will put a spring into their step heading to Cardiff.
‘Le Bomb Squad’ detonates
Free-spirited backs such as Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Maxime Lucu may have provided the pyrotechnics for France’s rout in Dublin, but the victory was founded on their power up front with ‘Le Bomb Squad’ proving unstoppable when five heavyweight reinforcements stepped off the bench in the 49th minute. The tactic of fielding a seven-one split between forwards and backs in the replacements is causing discontent among some nations, but for those with the pack resources – primarily France and South Africa – Ireland’s crushing defeat was evidence of its effectiveness.
Reputations tumble
Ireland’s defeat was a collective failure, but individual reputations still tumbled as France ran amok at the Aviva Stadium in a setback to Andy Farrell’s planning for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia. Bundee Aki, Joe McCarthy, Tadgh Beirne and Josh van der Flier were red-hot Lions contenders who were unable to make a dent on France and most worrying of all for Farrell was the clear power deficit against the new favourites to win the title.
Morgan and Jordan shine
Shortly after events in Dublin challenged Farrell’s selection thinking, two players at Murrayfield continued to present compelling arguments for their inclusion. Openside Jac Morgan is excelling amid the adversity of Wales’ 16-Test losing run, topping the Six Nations’ tackle count, carrying hard and making a nuisance at the breakdown. Tom Jordan, meanwhile, has filled the boots of Scotland’s injured inside centre Sione Tuipulotu with aplomb, proving a threat as a runner and playmaker and is shaping up to be a bolter for the tour.
