The Breakdown: A statistical look at the second round of Six Nations matches
Scotland will be out to claim a record-equalling eighth consecutive home victory in the Six Nations when they face a wounded Ireland, while England and Wales are strong favourites to make it two wins out of two.
Ireland were rocked by England in Dublin last Saturday, the defending champions and 2018 Grand Slam winners going down 32-20 at the Aviva Stadium.
Scotland started the tournament with a 33-20 victory over Italy at Murrayfield and will be looking to show they are genuine title contenders by inflicting more misery on the injury-hit holders on Saturday.
In the final match of the weekend on Sunday, England will be expected to see off a France side smarting from a second-half collapse against Wales in the opening game of the tournament in Paris last Friday.
Warren Gatland has made 10 changes to his side to face Italy, but Wales should still have too much for the Azzurri in Rome on Saturday.
With the help of Opta, we take a statistical look at the second round of matches.
Scotland v Ireland
Scotland have not reeled off eight victories in a row in the tournament since achieving the feat between 1972 and 1975.
Gregor Townsend’s men can expect a backlash from an Ireland side attempting to avoid back-to-back defeats for the first time since their tour of South Africa in 2016.
Ireland have won four of their last five Six Nations matches against Scotland, the one defeat coming at Murrayfield two years ago.
Captain Greig Laidlaw needs 10 points to overtake Gavin Hastings’s tally of 667 and become Scotland’s second-highest points scorer behind Chris Paterson (809).
Italy v Wales
Wales produced a record-breaking second-half fightback to beat Les Bleus at Stade de France, rallying from 16-0 down to win 24-19 after George North was gifted a double.
Italy will have their hands full as they attempt to deny Wales an 11th consecutive victory and secure their first Six Nations win at Stadio Olimpico since 2013.
Wales will be expected to record back-to-back away victories in the competition for the first time since 2015.
Italy’s defeat against Scotland was their 18th in a row in the tournament, setting a new unwanted record which was previously held by France.
TEAM NEWS 🏴 @JonFoxDavies will lead Wales for the first time against @Federugby this Saturday. #ITAvWAL
🔴 Capteiniaeth am y tro gyntaf i'r gŵr o'r gorllewin ar gap rhif 70 am y gêm @SixNationsRugby.#HWFN #ForTheJersey pic.twitter.com/h3aa0Qyb2A
— Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion) February 7, 2019
England v France
France beat England in Paris last year, but have lost nine of the last 12 Six Nations games between the two nations.
England have been beaten only once at Twickenham in ‘Le Crunch’ in the Six Nations era, Dimitri Yachvili inspiring an 18-17 victory in 2005.
Since the start of 2018, France have lost five of the seven games that they have led at half-time in – more than any other international side in that time.
Mark Wilson and Mako Vunipola both made 27 tackles against Ireland. No other player in any of the three matches made more than 20 and no England player has ever made as many in a Six Nations game
#ENGvFRA | Eddie gives you the lowdown on team selection for #LeCrunch 🔥
➡ https://t.co/8Jlu1s9UHh#WearTheRose 🌹 @O2sports pic.twitter.com/62xQsRUETC
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 8, 2019
Comments on RugbyPass
Chiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to comments