Category: 6 Nations

News and discussion about the 6 Nations

England manager Martin Johnson compared Chris Ashton to Jason Robinson after the winger’s four-try display against Italy. The former Rugby league player was close to reconverting from Rugby Union altogether just 18 months ago after an unsure start with Northampton, but with 9 tries in his first 9 tests since his debut against France last season, he will be delighted with his decision to continue.
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“It’s an interesting way to end your career” Martin Johnson chuckled when asked about Chris Ashton’s two swallow dives in England’s 59-13 rout against Italy. The former England captain was in a particularly light hearted mood after seeing his England side decimate an admittedly poor Italy side, even raising a smile when Aston elaborately dived over for England’s eighth try of the match.
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Irish winger Tommy Bowe will miss the 6 Nations clash against France in Dublin due to a knee injury which also forced him to miss the 13-11 win against Italy on Saturday. The Osprey’s man is unlikely to feature after damaging his knee and has now been omitted from an extended squad to continue his rehabilitation elsewhere.
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Wales 19 v 26 England (Millennium Stadium)
Wales 19: Try – Morgan Stoddart. Penalties – James Hook (1), Stephen Jones (3). Conversion – Stephen Jones
England 26: Tries – Chris Ashton (2). Penalties – Jonny Wilkinson, Toby Flood (3). Conversions – Toby Flood (2)

Italy 11 v 13 Ireland (Stadio Flaminio)
Italy 11: Try – Luke McLean. Penalties – Mirco Bergamasco (2)
Ireland 13 : Try – Brian O’Driscoll. Conversion – Jonathan Sexton. Penalty – Sexton. Drop goal – Ronan O’ Gara

France 34 v 21 Scotland (Stade de France)
France 34: Tries – Maxime Medard, Penalty Try, Imanol Harinordoquy, Damien Traille. Conversions – Morgan Parra (2), Dimitri Yachvili (2). Penalty – Yachvili. Drop goal – Francois Trinh-Duc
Scotland 21: Tries – Alastair Kellock, Kelly Brown, Sean Lamont. Conversions – Dan Parks (2)

More 6 Nations stuff »

Wales have been forced to re-jig their back line with just days to go until their opening Six Nations match against England. Leigh Halfpenny has aggravated his ankle injury and the winger will miss his side’s first two games of the tournament as he recovers from his latest set-back. It looks as though the injury will only sideline the Cardiff winger for two weeks but that does rule him out of both the England and Scotland matches.
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Scotland boss Andy Robinson has called on his team to use the upcoming Six Nations to finally start fulfilling their promise rather than consistently underachieving in the tournament. Over the last four Six Nations, Scotland have finished in the bottom two and haven’t lifted the trophy since 1999. The will open their tournament with a trip to Paris to face last year’s Grand Slam winners France, where they will be looking to record their first win on French soil since that 1999 success. (more…)

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has singled out hooker Dylan Hartley for criticism ahead of their Six Nations opener against England. The teams meet at the Millennium Stadium on February 4th and Gatland has stoked the fires by claiming that Hartley will face a stern test when he comes up against the Wales pack. (more…)

There is nothing quite like the Six Nations. Sure, the Tri-Nations represents the peak of rugby union at the moment but there is a mystique surrounding the Six Nations that is absent from the Southern Hemisphere tournament. Perhaps it is the historical rivalries; England have been playing Scotland for the Calcutta Cup in one form or another since 1879. Fast forward to 2011 and this year’s tournament represents quite possibly the most open tournament since its inception as the Home Nations tournament in 1883. (more…)