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Check out the pick of the weekend’s highlights following some huge Six Nations, Top 14 and Super Rugby matches.
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Six Nations: England vs Scotland
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
For once, Scotland headed to Twickenham with sinews stiffened, blood duly summoned and fair nature disguised with hard-favour’d rage ready to face the auld enemy for the Calcutta Cup, the Triple Crown, and the honour of the Celtic nations. The England engine, despite an undefeated 2016, was stuttering in this Six Nations, and Scotland have been playing with fire and brimstone and had a first win in London in 34 years firmly in their sights. But everyone forgot there are two ways a side can stop stuttering. This was the other one.
Six Nations: Wales vs Ireland
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
This is rugby. For all that Friday-night Six Nations matches are not popular with many outside TV scheduling land – only Wales seem interested, hosting six of the seven that have taken place – they can produce some epic games. And this was right near the top of the epic list. Forget the score – this was thunderous, heart-on-the-sleeve rugby from first whistle to last. Rob Howley’s resurrection men were everything they were not against Scotland last time out: quick, quick-witted, aggressive. And yet, Ireland, harried and bullied and battered as they were, remained in touch until the death, sometimes by the finest of margins. Rob Henshaw is taking a hatful of blame in the press for his over-eagerness that cost Ireland what could have been an important try. But it was that sort of game … passion was everything.
Six Nations: Italy vs France
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
Italy kept ‘The Fox’ out of the Stadio Olimpico henhouse when they entertained France. But, it seems, regardless of their tactics, they will be confined to being the team of plucky overwhelmed also-rans this season. A fourth-minute try from captain Sergio Parisse which shot the Azzurri into a fourth-minute lead was about as good as it got, as often-overlooked centre Gael Fickou got Les Bleus going. This was not classic France, but they made some gorgeous tries, and some of the passing will have older rugby fans reminiscing wistfully about that mythical French flair they insist on talking about.
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Super Rugby: Reds vs Crusaders
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
Any Crusaders fans who thought this would be an easy four (at least!) points were dreaming. A win at Suncorp Stadium is rarely that straightforward – just ask the Highlanders and Blues how they got on last season. Still, even the Reds themselves wouldn’t have expected to be 17-0 up within the first 25 minutes with tries from Samu Kerevi and Eto Nabuli. But the Crusaders are fashioning themselves as Super Rugby’s comeback kings this year – they overcame a 21-point deficit to beat the Highlanders last week, could they do the same here?
Top 14: Lyon vs Stade Francais
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
At the business end of the season, the wrong end of the table is often the place to look for the best matches. And 12th-placed Lyon’s close encounter of the tense kind with 11th-placed Stade Francais lived up to expectations, as it featured seven tries and four cards – two of them red – with the drama starting in the opening minute and continuing until the 80th.
Top 14: Clermont vs Montpellier
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
Visiting sides do not win at Clermont’s Stade Marcel Michelin. The last side to do so, was Montpellier, 14 months ago – and it is not that long ago that the Jaunards strung together a 77-match winning streak in all competitions at their fortress that stretched over four years. But, if there is ever a time they are weaker, it’s during the Six Nations. Jake White’s powerful and direct Montpellier had a chance, then, as they headed into France’s volcano country.
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Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
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