Who’s hot and who’s not: Ireland show title credentials, Scotland steals win and trouble for the Melbourne Rebels

Jared Wright
Split between Ireland stars and Melbourne Rebels.

Split between Ireland stars and Melbourne Rebels.

It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.

THEY’RE ON FIRE!

Record-breaking Ireland and Joe McCarthy: A record score in France in what many described as the Six Nations decider put Ireland on track to possibly becoming the first nation to claim back-to-back Grand Slams. It was a statement victory jampacked with statement performances, most notably from second rower McCarthy, who was named Player of the Match and gifted his medal to his brother to cap off a memorable night in Marseille and a stunning start to their title defence.

Scotland break Cardiff hoodoo: There were some nervy moments towards the end of their Six Nations opener against Wales, but in the end, Gregor Townsend’s side got the job done and claimed their first victory in Cardiff since 2002. The Scots set up their win in the first half and held a 20-0 lead at half-time before continuing their dominance early in the second half when a converted Duhan van der Merwe try gave them a 27-0 lead. The Welsh launched a stunning fightback but, in the end, the Scots hung on for a 27-26 triumph to end their 22-year wait for a win in the Welsh capital.

Italy fast out the blocks: Although they opened their Six Nations account with another defeat, there were plenty of positives for Italy in that 27-24 loss to England in Rome on Saturday, none more so than their superb start. The Italians raced into a 10-0 lead courtesy of a Tommaso Allan penalty and a converted Alessandro Garbisi try. They continued to hold an edge as the half progressed and led 17-14 at half-time before England came back to seal their win in the second half. New Azzurri boss Gonzalo Quesada will be hoping for a similar effort against Ireland in Dublin this weekend.

World club champions Munster: Many will have easily missed this match, which unfortunately kicked off during the Six Nations clash between Wales and Scotland. However, an injury-hit and international star-less Munster side managed to defeat the Crusaders in a battle between the defending URC and Super Rugby champions. The North now has the bragging rights for now as we hope to see this fixture organised in the future again; we just ask that it is slotted at a time when an international doesn’t dominate the screen time.

Hat-trick hero Henry Pollock: Remember the name. England got their u20 Six Nations campaign off to a perfect start, thrashing Italy 11-36 thanks mostly to the performance of rising star flanker Pollock, who grabbed three tries in the clash. The Saints’ Academy product has been spoken about highly in English circles and likened to Wallabies legend Michael Hooper. Judging by his performance this weekend, we will be hearing much more about him in the near future.

Belgium: Rugby in Europe is on a rapid rise, and this showed again as Belgium ran out 10-6 winners over Rugby World Cup sweethearts Portugal in the opening round of the Rugby Europe Men’s Championship. The result came as a big surprise but underlines promising development in the continent, which could make for interesting viewing closer to the next World Cup in 2027. There was also a close call from Spain, who narrowly defeated the Netherlands thanks to a late missed shot at goal.

BROKEN THERMOSTAT

Gatland’s young charges: Cold in the first half and hot in the second. It took a while for the young Welsh side to get going in Cardiff, and they looked to be staring down a walloping when they trailed Scotland 20-0 at halftime. But they returned from the dressing rooms and delivered a masterful second-half performance that saw them outscore the Scots 26-7 in the next 40 minutes. It was not enough to see them to victory, but it showed signs of their capabilities.

THEY’RE COLD AS ICE!

Lackluster Les Bleus and Willemse:  France head coach Fabien Galthie has plenty of work to do ahead of their upcoming clash against Scotland at Murrayfield, as his charges were never at the races in their Championship opener against Ireland in Marseille. They were under the cosh from the outset as Willemse was yellow-carded for an illegal hit on Andrew Porter, and Ireland made full use of their numerical advantage as Jamison Gibson-Park crossed for the opening try during Willemse’s first stint off the field. The visitors continued to dominate, and things went pear-shaped for Les Bleus when Willemse was sent off after a second yellow card following another bad hit on Caelan Doris. The French never recovered after that, and Ireland cruised to a deserved win after that.

Matt Williams’ drivel: It just doesn’t stop. The former Scotland head coach is a massive critic of the Springboks’ tactic of selecting six and seven forwards on their bench and has called on World Rugby to make changes for ‘player safety’ as the tactic is ‘an abuse of a safety law’. He came out swinging again this week when Ireland and France both opted for a 6-2 split in favour of the forwards. His argument is getting tiresome, and if by some wild chance, he is reading this, we urge you to listen to what Ross Tucker has to say on the topic.

Saudi’s interest in the Premiership: News broke this week that Saudi investors are in talks to buy a stake in four Premiership clubs, which fans did not receive well despite three teams folding last season. While it would help secure the financial future of rugby in England, there are obvious moral implications, given Saudi Arabia’s appalling human rights record. The question is whether beggars can be choosers in this case.

Rebels’ administration confirmed: Last week it was confirmed that the Melbourne-based side had entered voluntary administration with the clubs debt rumoured to be in the regions of AU$9 million. Rugby Australia has confirmed that the Rebels would take part in the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific but would not further support the team after that. Talks are ongoing with the Victorian Government to see if they can provide the side with financial assistance.

Portugal: It was a classic case of from hero to zero for the Rugby World Cup superstars Portugal, who fell short to Belgium in the opening round of the Rugby Europe Men Championship away from home. The loss serves as a reality check for the team who won so many hearts in the global showpiece last year in France. It is a serious back to the drawing board situation as Os Lobos desperately need to reset for the remainder of the tournament.

READ MORE: Nick Easter’s Six Nations Team of the Week: The ‘absolutely magnificent’ Ireland star and rookies making their mark

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