NEWS
Eire picked up their third bonus-level acquire, Scotland made it four wins in a row over England and Italy drew with France after nearly snatching a historic acquire.
The third weekend of the 2024 Six International locations had all the issues from drama to person brilliance.
What are the main talking points from the halfway round of the opponents?
England’s assault continues to fight
Six tries in three games. England’s assault is yet to fireside this campaign and with handiest two rounds left, time is working out.
So grand focus has been on replicating South Africa’s blitz defence machine below fresh coach Felix Jones.
But when George Furbank carried out off a neatly-timed strike play for the opening acquire at Murrayfield, it regarded cherish both facets of the ball had been coming together.
Alternatively, England ended up lacking fluency in assault and made 24 facing errors to suffer their fourth Calcutta Cup loss in a row.
“England’s shape is not clicking and after they’re struggling to impose themselves they return to their kicking sport,” former Scotland captain John Barclay urged Six International locations Rugby Special.
Frail Scotland global Johnnie Beattie reckons three-quarters of the Premiership groups are “better than England’s assault”.
“As the game went on and England went via multi-portion it regarded alien to them. They place not look settled or know straightforward solutions to play with every diversified,” Beattie urged Rugby Union Day after day.
Steve Borthwick has now handiest registered one strive bonus-level in his eight Six International locations games.
England subsequent face the neatly-oiled attacking machine of Eire on 9 March, who hang scored four or extra tries in every round to this level.
- England’s capitulation disappointing after actual beginning – Matt Dawson
Van der Merwe provides to spotlight reel
“I do not know what it’s, I must appropriate be waking up and alive to about scoring tries.”
There’s loss of life, taxes and Duhan van der Merwe tries against England.
The prolific winger has now scored six tries in his final four Calcutta Cup fits. His solo strive in 2023 won World Rugby’s strive of the 365 days and his 2nd on Saturday may perchance presumably perchance not be too a long way in the abet of this 365 days.
After picking up the free ball, he weaved around Ben Earl before accelerating distinct to hang spectacularly in the nook.
“It’s a long way basically the most convenient time since retiring that I hang watched some rugby and thought I may perchance presumably perchance loved to hang accomplished that,” former England winger Chris Ashton urged Rugby Union Day after day.
“It gave me a sense, as it may perchance well per chance presumably perchance hang in your total teens staring on the game, of ‘I may perchance presumably perchance settle on to be that person in some unspecified time in the future’.”
Added to his extremely efficient hang in 2021, Van der Merwe is constructing his respect highlights reel for the fixture.
“It’s probably you’ll not explain his high ball or defensive positioning are his strengths. His strengths are ending and ending ridiculous tries,” Beattie added.
“He’s acceptable a gruesome athlete. A pure athlete.”
The winger will look so to add to his strive tally away to Italy on 9 March.
- Van der Merwe made Calcutta Cup distinction
- What ifs nag hosts after extra Calcutta Cup joy
‘Physicality’ inserting Eire ‘scarily distinct’
Inspire-to-abet Immense Slams hang by no technique been accomplished before in the Six International locations.
Or not it’s a long way a purpose Andy Farrell’s workers hang made a precedence since their heartbreaking World Cup quarter-last defeat by Fresh Zealand, and their victory over Wales in Dublin saved them not off beam.
Frail Wales captain Sam Warburton believes Eire’s elevated ranges of physicality hang despatched them “scarily distinct” of any diversified workers in the opponents.
“Eire are worthwhile collisions, constructive attributable to proper shape, but they’re turning on the energy now. That is why they’ve gone scarily sooner than diversified groups in the Six International locations,” Warburton urged Six International locations Rugby Special.
The introduction of twenty-two-365 days-traditional lock Joe McCarthy has helped add that extra dimension to Eire’s ahead sport.
“They are by a long way the appropriate workers in the Six International locations. It has been a criticism of Leinster in the previous and Eire after they’ve performed the extra physical groups,” Warburton acknowledged.
No topic struggling their third defeat in a row, Wales’ young side again showed signs of promise.
- Eire roar resilience to retain 2nd straight Slam in secret agent
The shot clock curse
The shot clock changed into as soon as offered in January 2023 to “help bustle up the game” and it completely made Paolo Garbisi bustle.
Italy hang by no technique won in France in the Six International locations and as Garbisi attempted to slot the worthwhile penalty in injury-time, the ball fell off the tee.
After a immediate readjustment, his rushed strive cannoned off the put up and the sport changed into as soon as drawn.
“He has 12 seconds to reset, win his head settled and he appropriate doesn’t hang ample time. It’s a long way so desperately unlucky,” Barclay acknowledged.
Owen Farrell changed into the fundamental man in World Cup historic previous to be timed out as he took longer than the distributed 60 seconds against Samoa.
With Garbisi nailing his earlier conversion from out huge for Ange Capuozzo’s strive, he regarded in the groove to seal the acquire from a grand more straightforward problem.
Alternatively, the shot clock strikes again.
Are France in crisis?
At some level of final autumn’s World Cup, France dispatched Italy 60-7 and had been in full cruise defend an eye on.
Roll on handiest a topic of months and Italy’s Garbisi passed over a possibility to produce historic previous for Italy.
Since a crushing quarter-last defeat by South Africa, France hang additionally been hammered by Eire in Marseille and had been a long way from convincing in a controversial victory at Murrayfield.
“Best probably 18 months ago we thought they had been going to acquire a World Cup,” Barclay acknowledged.
“How make you poke from beating Italy 60-7 to where we’re now in nearly losing to Italy? It appropriate appears to be like cherish the extra they’re playing, the worse they’re getting.”
Jonathan Danty joined Paul Willemse because the 2nd France player to be despatched off this campaign, perchance indicating their frustration.
“France hang gone backwards, they give the affect of being extra physical and hang emotion, but in assault they had been severely lacking,” Warburton added.
France subsequent face Wales in Cardiff on 10 March and can want to help their discipline if they’re to derive an away acquire.
- Six International locations fixtures, standings & BBC protection dinky print