BizNews Rugby weekend recap: Mercurial France? Now there’s an underused adjective

This article is taken from the recently launched BizNews Rugby newsletter, sent out weekly by Rory Steyn, host of the BizNews Rugby podcast. Sign up for the weekly newsletter here to get the latest BizNews Rugby updates..Key topics:.Six Nations – England edged Scotland, Ireland held off Wales, and France crushed Italy.URC – Bulls dominated Lions in the Jukskei Derby, with Le Roux impressing.Key takeaways – England's defense, France's firepower, and Wales' revival signs..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here..Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here..If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Rory Steyn.This past weekend delivered a feast of rugby action across the three Guinness Six Nations (6N) matches and the lone United Rugby Championship (URC) fixture. Here's a breakdown of those matches:.Calcutta Cup: England 16-15 Scotland.England edged Scotland at Twickenham to reclaim the Calcutta Cup after a four-year losing streak, in a match that, while not exactly nail-biting, was tactically absorbing. England's physical dominance in the set piece, defence, and breakdown somewhat stifled Scotland's attacking rhythm despite their northern foe outscoring them by three tries to one. Incongruous. Marcus Smith's composed kicking and Tommy Freeman's try gave England control, while Scotland's tries from Ben White, Huw Jones, and Duhan van der Merwe showcased their flair and the poison that their backline holds. However, Finn Russell's uncharacteristic off-day with the boot – missing all three conversions – proved decisive. It's not every day that a team ending on 15 points does so by scoring three tries, and nothing else. England's victory was a statement of defensive intent after their recent struggles, while Scotland will rue those missed opportunities in a game they could (should?) have won. Despite the three missed conversions, they spurned one opportunity too many in the English 22, and paid the price. .Wales 18-27 Ireland.In Cardiff, Wales showed real signs of revival and some real sand under their new (interim) coaching leadership following Warren Gatland's departure, but sadly fell short against a slightly wobbly Ireland. A gritty defensive performance kept Wales in contention in front of a typically vocal Arms Park crowd in The Principality Stadium, with their young players stepping up admirably alongside recalled Welsh veterans like Taulupe Faletau, who was easily the best player on the pitch, and Will Rowlands. Ireland's experience and discipline ultimately prevailed, with Sam Prendergast's boot proving decisive. This narrow defeat (much closer than the scoreline suggests) proves that Wales are quite capable of rebuilding their stock, even though they still lack consistency against top-tier opposition. Ireland, as I've said, were very composed despite their unconvincing tight five, almost Springbok-esque in the manner that they simply do not panic, rather sticking to and trusting their gameplan, turning the last 20 minutes into an inevitable, hard-to-resist display of calm execution. Even though I almost believed Wales had this one….Italy 24-73 France.Talk about a game of two halves! Well, almost two halves. The first 30 minutes in Rome were easily the finest in this year's 6N thus far! Champagne rugby from both sides. And then, France simply overran Italy to secure a crushing second-half victory and put an exhausted Azzurri to the sword. Their Rassie-like 7-1 split took its toll as 'le bomb squad' did for Italy who had started so brightly, with Ange Capuozzo dazzling in attack and Paolo Garbisi pulling the strings at fly-half. The superb centre pairing of Menoncello and Brex, with a try apiece, were tearing France's defence apart and they trailed by just 17-21 at halftime, giving real hope to their fans packed into the Stadio Olimpico. However, France's depth and power turned the tide in the second half just as Italy's defence failed them completely. Woefully. Théo Attissogbé impressed on debut, scoring one of France's four tries, while the genius of Le Petit Générale (with a brace) marshalled his attack expertly. Two superb Dupont incursions into the Italian defensive line in quick succession on the half-hour and again two minutes from halftime took the initial wind out of Italy's sails, and the match was all but over after what began as such a promising contest. .Italy's coach Gonzalo Quesada, who took over from Kieran Crowley after the Rugby World Cup 2023, will have a wee bit to say in tomorrow's video session, no doubt. Quesada, a former Argentine international and accomplished coach, signed a four-year contract to lead Italy through 2027; has already shown what he's about, with notable results in the 2024 and '25 Six Nations, including a historic draw against France in Paris a year ago (a match they should really have won!) and back-to-back victories over Wales, including their first home win against them since 2007. Yesterday's capitulation after such a bright start, however, can neither be explained nor tolerated. If France had played like this against England two weeks ago….Jukskei derby: Bulls 31-19 Lions.The Bulls ended their indifferent home form with a commanding win over the Lions in Pretoria during their URC derby. Willie le Roux silenced any critics with a standout performance at fly-half, orchestrating a blistering start as the Bulls raced to a 17-0 lead inside 20 minutes. Le Roux contributed a try and an assist, while Canan Moodie and Reinhardt Ludwig also crossed the whitewash. The Bulls' scrum dominance, led by Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Louw, was pivotal as they dismantled the Lions up front. The Lions showed glimpses of promise but were undone by unforced errors and ill-discipline, including a costly yellow card for Quan Horn just before halftime. Horn and Henco van Wyk are two rising stars to keep an eye on, however. One just wonders when the Lions can break the apparent stranglehold that the men in blue hold over them in this derby. .Weekend takeaways.• Six Nations: England's victory over Scotland was built on defensive pragmatism rather than flair, assisted by missed Scottish opportunities; France reaffirmed their unpredictable, mercurial, 'hot-and-cold' nature, and their title credentials; while Wales showed signs of life after Gatland, despite their Home loss..• URC: The Bulls' win not only restored a measure of pride at Loftus Versfeld but also strengthened their position in the playoff race. It's becoming interesting at the top….Read also:.BizNews Rugby: Rugby's oldest trophy and a handful of RupeesBizNews Rugby Show: England v Scotland in the historic Calcutta Cup; Six Nations preview; and the Jukskei derbySports Show: Joel Stransky – the story behind THAT '95 drop goal; the state of rugby; and his URC predictions.This article is taken from the recently launched BizNews Rugby newsletter, sent out weekly by Rory Steyn, host of the BizNews Rugby podcast. Sign up for the weekly newsletter here to get the latest BizNews Rugby updates.

BizNews Rugby weekend recap: Mercurial France? Now there’s an underused adjective

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