Women's Six Nation Rugby, Round Five

Wales v Italy

It should probably be no surprise that a game between two sides with much better defences than attacks is low scoring. Especially when Wales, who for the first 20 minutes, had been looking the more adventurous, had two women sent to the bin within a minute of so. Honestly I’m surprised they didn’t both see red, which would really have changed the game.

Wales, unsurprisingly, slowed the game down to try and manage their numerical disadvantage but it never really sparked back into life once they returned.

You sometimes see games that are described as “neither side wanted to lose.” I don’t think that’s really fair here - it was more a case that both sides base their success on defence and the attacking side is a work in progress. However, it certainly looked a lot like neither side wanted to lose.

Congratulations to Italy who kicked slightly better than Wales, so they won 10-8. However, the losing bonus point means Wales were guaranteed third spot, which took some jeopardy out of the last game.

France v England

England have a ferociously effective scoring machine in penalty > lineout > driving maul > try. French indiscipline absolutely cost them 14 points and with a different referee they’d have seen yellow too.

But England's third try, scored the same way, followed a string of poor decisions by the ref that should really have had something happening at the other end. Equally, a little later, there was a clear penalty try not given, not even a yellow card. I don’t like singling out the official like this, but when there was a prolonged period of poor decisions, all in one direction, it has a big impact on the game. (When Brian Moore says France can feel unlucky with the way the ref is officiating, and England are the other side, you know it’s not great.)

Let’s be clear. England’s pack were dominant in all the set pieces, and the mauls. However, in the loose the French were better throughout but the English defence applied enough pressure that the offloads under pressure and so on didn’t stick just often enough to restrict the French in terms of territory and scoring chances. They didn’t need the ref being one-eyed and giving every 50-50 decision, and more than a few blind-eyes in England’s favour. A more-even handed referee shouldn’t have affected the eventual winner but might well have made for a more exciting game. It would certainly have made for one better for my blood pressure!

It’s worth noting that when France had a player sent to the sin bin, they didn’t concede any points. I think every other team conceded at least fourteen during the periods they were a woman down, and it often knocked on into a flood of points afterwards. That, more than anything else shows both the gulf between these two and the rest and just how good the French were at defending against the English backs. Just not against the rolling maul.

Ireland v Scotland

Where Wales v Italy was low scoring because you had two teams with good defences and relatively weak attacks, Ireland v Scotland both showed attacking willing but the weather was appalling - even on tight shots you could frequently see the rain, on wider shots you always could. The wind was always crazy as well.

During the second half Scotland ground out a six point lead only to be denied their only of the tournament by a try and conversion with time well into the red. The one point margin of victory seems about right, honestly I’m not sure the Irish deserved it more than the Scots, but that’s the way it panned out. This puts Ireland in fourth on bonus points (Wales have three, Ireland one, Italy none) and Scotland dead last.

Happy Coaches

Middleton had to be top of the heap. Against the toughest opponents the forwards were dominant and the backs defended against them well. There are things to work on, but it’s hard to deny that winning the grand slam, beating France in France is some achievement.

There are a group of coaches really close together next. Di Giandomenico and Italy ended up with two wins. When you only play five matches and two are against England and France, that’s not a bad return. Cunningham and Wales ended up in third and vastly improved from last year. Same broad comments as Italy, but that improvement is huge and a positive sign for the autumn and next year. Professionalism paying dividends. Hayraud is in here too. Disappointed with today’s result but the French backs more than had the measure of the English backs on both sides of the ball, albeit in attack only in too few flashes which not helped by their forwards or the ref. Their forwards have things to work on but there is time to improve. And with a different ref that game could have been a lot closer. Finally McWilliams is in this group. Ireland have all kinds of issues, are building for the future and then lost half their first choice players to the sevens circuit after the first three rounds, so skewed even younger. But they still ended up with two wins and a fourth place. There’s a lot to work on but there’s time to build with them.

All on his own with little hope to see is Easson. Scotland have to try and pick up the pieces of this campaign and turn it round before NZ and the RWC. While there were more moments of brightness today, Scotland seem to have found ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, even when they’re close. That’s a habit he’s got to work out how to break if they’re going to get anywhere come the RWC.