:00:16. > :00:22.It is round three of the Six Nations. England are the team to
:00:22. > :00:26.beat. But the race for the championship is still on. At the
:00:26. > :00:31.Stadio Olimpico, the heavens opened, it was a battleground made for the
:00:31. > :00:38.big boys. But it was Wales who turned on a powerful stop and when
:00:38. > :00:47.the damage was done, it was down to this man. -- but it was Wales who
:00:47. > :00:54.turned on the power. A fine piece of finishing. That could well be
:00:54. > :00:59.the clincher in Rome. Good evening and welcome to the
:00:59. > :01:03.Scrum V Six Nations special. Three games gone, two away wins on the
:01:03. > :01:06.bounce, and that match against Scotland will be extra tasty after
:01:06. > :01:10.their win at Murrayfield against Ireland.
:01:10. > :01:16.The broadsheets are talking of a potential Grand Slam win for
:01:16. > :01:26.England, but Wales were victorious yesterday, helped by a classic try
:01:26. > :01:35.
:01:35. > :01:45.could well be the clincher out here A great finish. Would you please
:01:45. > :01:46.
:01:46. > :01:56.welcome our guests, Jonathan Davies, Kingsley Jones, Mr Llewellyn and
:01:56. > :02:13.
:02:13. > :02:18.Welcome to the programme. Perhaps the noisiest crowd we have had this
:02:18. > :02:24.season. They are a great audience. First of all, a round event --
:02:24. > :02:29.around a pause for that performance yesterday. -- a round of applause
:02:29. > :02:32.for that performance yesterday. For those of you watching be the
:02:32. > :02:36.outstanding BBC sport coverage yesterday, you will know that this
:02:36. > :02:40.man stepped into the breach when the main commentator was
:02:40. > :02:44.inexplicably sick. Jonathan Davies came in and helped out and Shane
:02:44. > :02:48.Williams came in as well. Talk us through what happened? He was
:02:48. > :02:58.looking grey at the start of the show and said he had food poisoning.
:02:58. > :02:59.
:02:59. > :03:03.10 minutes into the game he got up and walked away. I was like... Well,
:03:03. > :03:10.what is going on? I asked the editor, what is going on? He is on
:03:10. > :03:15.the toilet, throwing up. Great, just carry on! So they got hold of
:03:15. > :03:20.Shane, and as he was walking on, the lady said, don't worry, there
:03:20. > :03:25.are only 5 million listening! He hadn't done it before, neither had
:03:25. > :03:30.died. It wasn't as seen circumstances but he sounded OK
:03:30. > :03:36.today. -- it was unseen circumstances. What did you make of
:03:36. > :03:41.the match? It was amazing, they destroyed the Italian set piece,
:03:41. > :03:45.which they based their game on. Once they scored the first try the
:03:45. > :03:51.confidence came back. I thought they would maybe score more tries
:03:51. > :03:55.against them, but unfortunately on the back of a defeat it will take
:03:55. > :03:59.time and the important things are just winning the games, they were
:03:59. > :04:04.comfortable Willian -- comfortable winners yesterday. A hard-fought
:04:04. > :04:09.win? Yes, and the weather is always worse than it looks on the
:04:09. > :04:14.television. In games like that it is applying pressure through your
:04:14. > :04:19.kicking game. Rob Howley identified that after Ireland. They won the
:04:19. > :04:23.territorial battle yesterday, put pressure on the line at speed and
:04:23. > :04:27.it paid dividends. Kingsley, given that Philippe Saint-Andre is a
:04:27. > :04:30.personal friend of yours, what has happened to France? They played
:04:30. > :04:35.well in the first 40 minutes and were probably the better side, but
:04:35. > :04:39.they could not get the win. I hope that he gets a couple of wins,
:04:39. > :04:42.because they look like they are battling for the wooden spoon,
:04:42. > :04:46.which is not where you want to see your friend. It was difficult for
:04:46. > :04:53.me when they were playing Yip -- playing Wales, but yesterday I
:04:53. > :04:56.hoped that they would win. Ireland must be gutted. I have never team -
:04:56. > :05:00.- seen a team with so much possession and territory be beaten
:05:00. > :05:05.like that. Bad news for Wales that Scotland won, but they did what
:05:05. > :05:11.they needed to. If you were an Irish player now you would be
:05:11. > :05:18.devastated. They had opportunities. Keith else broke through but they
:05:18. > :05:24.failed to capitalise. Especially after the way they started the Six
:05:24. > :05:28.Nations. But firstly, highlights from the Stadio Olimpico. Your
:05:28. > :05:38.commentators are Andrew Carter, Jonathan Davies, a Shane Williams,
:05:38. > :05:40.
:05:40. > :05:50.Huw Llywelyn Davies, anybody we the third weekend of the RBS Six
:05:50. > :06:27.
:06:27. > :06:37.a really good kick-off and the Very patient, plenty of runners. A
:06:37. > :06:37.
:06:37. > :07:21.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds
:07:21. > :07:31.passive defence at the moment by first real attacking opportunity.
:07:31. > :07:31.
:07:31. > :08:58.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds
:08:58. > :09:08.made. He spotted the gap. Canale will just attempt to release the
:09:08. > :09:42.
:09:43. > :09:52.a warning sign for Wales early in footballer, he gave chase to his
:09:53. > :10:03.
:10:03. > :10:13.nothing kick, really, but the bounce really favours Jonathan
:10:13. > :10:13.
:10:13. > :11:04.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds
:11:04. > :11:09.Davies. You feel that Burton maybe penalty. I think there is a card.
:11:09. > :11:19.Romain Poite has lost patience, and the Italian captain is off for 10
:11:19. > :11:41.
:11:41. > :11:48.time he has come on as a replacement. A very good,
:11:48. > :11:56.aggressive career of the ball. It is Wales' second try! That could
:11:56. > :12:03.well be the clincher out here in Rome. Just watch, there is the
:12:03. > :12:06.dummy run. Canale takes the wrong man. Just watch that. Canale goes
:12:06. > :12:14.into Number 12, he takes Jonathan Davies, he should have drifted out
:12:14. > :12:24.wide. But unfortunately it is a defensive error. When he hits the
:12:24. > :12:54.
:12:54. > :13:04.line at speed, you will not stop footed. Masi was almost intercepted
:13:04. > :13:17.
:13:17. > :13:24.by Cuthbert, the referee says it is points as a crowning glory on their
:13:24. > :13:29.victory? That is the end, it is the second consecutive victory for
:13:29. > :13:32.Wales, their 5th consecutive victory away from home in the
:13:32. > :13:42.championship, which has not happened to whales since the late
:13:42. > :13:49.
:13:49. > :13:59.Another win for Wales. Let's get the thoughts of Rob Howley and the
:13:59. > :14:05.
:14:05. > :14:09.Games like that are about our muscles. We are not breaking first.
:14:09. > :14:16.We made sure we had territory, the ball in the right areas. You come
:14:16. > :14:21.to places like this, you build a win. Those early points in the
:14:21. > :14:25.second half, superb, we pulled away in the end. It was a good
:14:25. > :14:29.performance, especially up front. The boys worked really hard. We had
:14:30. > :14:35.to make sure that we kept them down and put them in the right places.
:14:35. > :14:38.The pack were on fire today. clinical second half, we took
:14:38. > :14:43.opportunities. There were not always going to be opportunities,
:14:43. > :14:53.probably the conditions suited Italy, but to be 26-nine winners, I
:14:53. > :14:58.
:14:58. > :15:06.would have taken that at the Wales have secured four consecutive
:15:06. > :15:12.away victories. That must be pleasing. It is a great attitude
:15:12. > :15:16.away from home. Italy are a difficult side to play. If they had
:15:16. > :15:22.chosen any conditions they would want, it would have been those on
:15:22. > :15:32.Saturday. Did -- did it's surprising how dominant the Welsh
:15:32. > :15:34.
:15:34. > :15:44.scrum was? Not at all. The boys worked really hard throughout the
:15:44. > :15:47.
:15:47. > :15:54.week and it seemed to click on Saturday. It was nice for us backs.
:15:54. > :16:01.You need to take away their scrum and the driving line-out. We stop
:16:01. > :16:07.them at source which is crews -- crucial. At the moment, we are
:16:07. > :16:13.playing winning rugby. Sometimes you have to adapt as we did against
:16:13. > :16:20.Italy. We know how good Scotland are and they have some good
:16:20. > :16:28.individual players. They have got players who can turn games. We feel
:16:28. > :16:36.we have got the same but it's about making sure look play well. Are you
:16:36. > :16:46.going to be man-of-the-match in every game? Our I just keep working
:16:46. > :16:48.
:16:48. > :16:54.hard and do my job. He is the star of the Six Nations so far. Let's go
:16:54. > :17:00.over to Sean Holly for the statistics. Two Quins front to a
:17:00. > :17:05.handball -- both away from home. The defence again was magnificent.
:17:05. > :17:13.Wales have now only conceded 15 points in the last 200 minutes of
:17:13. > :17:17.play and no tries in that. It was a big kicking game. 75 kicks in
:17:17. > :17:21.yesterday's game but Wales had a clear game-plan to pressurise the
:17:21. > :17:30.Italian kickers. Take a look at the forward Sir putting pressure on
:17:30. > :17:34.Kristopher Burton. They apply a lot of pressure and forced errors.
:17:34. > :17:40.Gethin Jenkins chases them down and then a pressurises the scrum-half
:17:40. > :17:47.and they get another turnover. This resulted in three points for Wales.
:17:47. > :17:51.Justin Tipuric forcing Kristopher Burton to miss the drop goal. And
:17:51. > :17:55.look at this determination from Gethin Jenkins. Italy are normally
:17:55. > :18:02.tricky customers at the scrum but it was a great day at the office
:18:02. > :18:12.for the Welsh front row. Adam Jones was world class. It forced Italy in
:18:12. > :18:14.
:18:14. > :18:16.two Six penalties at the scrum. Usually, the Italians are
:18:16. > :18:24.scrummager square but Andrea Lo Cicero and Martin Castrogiovanni
:18:24. > :18:31.went individual. This split the second rows and they go down and
:18:31. > :18:34.lose their purchase and watch where Wales finish up. Again, the
:18:34. > :18:42.pressure told and Martin Castrogiovanni went right in on the
:18:42. > :18:52.angle. Watch the Wales front row and how the scrum ends up. The
:18:52. > :18:52.
:18:52. > :18:57.mantra is to go really square, leaving the referee no alternative.
:18:57. > :19:02.The half-backs are doing their bit at the moment. Carrying and kicking
:19:02. > :19:07.the ball very well. Dan Biggar is doing the things you don't usually
:19:07. > :19:14.expect. He put Alex Cuthbert away in the first half. In the second
:19:14. > :19:20.half he rescues his team with a try-saving tackle. When he puts the
:19:20. > :19:27.ball in the air, watch him on the floor scavenging. He creates the
:19:27. > :19:34.turnover and after the box kick Jonathan Davies gets his first try.
:19:34. > :19:42.He then pulls Alex Cuthbert in and Alex Cuthbert seas that Kristopher
:19:42. > :19:47.Burton is out of position and gets the final try to seal the game.
:19:47. > :19:52.There are so many good aspects of the performance to pick through
:19:52. > :20:00.with the guests. Jonathan Davies, what about the transformation of
:20:00. > :20:05.Dan Biggar? I think he is settling in nicely. Yesterday suited his
:20:05. > :20:13.game. He controlled the game and his kicking out of hand was good.
:20:13. > :20:17.His distribution is good. When he played for Wales before, he came in
:20:17. > :20:22.on a Friday night against Fiji with half the team missing. It was not
:20:23. > :20:28.really fair on him. He is now getting used to the international
:20:28. > :20:34.scene and it is a bit quicker. He got charged down against Ireland
:20:34. > :20:39.but he had a really good game yesterday. A good kicking game in
:20:39. > :20:44.dreadful conditions. He is slowly settling in. So much depends on the
:20:44. > :20:50.pack. The Welsh pack were going forward yesterday and the Italian
:20:50. > :20:57.outside half was under pressure all day. That makes a huge difference -
:20:57. > :21:01.- defence to Dan Biggar's game. When you are kicking and putting
:21:01. > :21:09.them under pressure, then they're going to struggle with their
:21:09. > :21:13.lineouts and with the dominance of the scrum, it made it easier.
:21:13. > :21:23.Tactic yesterday, Wales got it right at the scrum. They attacked
:21:23. > :21:24.
:21:24. > :21:27.to the right, Adam Jones going out and he had the upper hand. Martin
:21:27. > :21:30.Castrogiovanni is trying to chase in but because Wales are solid on
:21:30. > :21:34.the engagement is allowed Gethin Jenkins or Paul James to come
:21:34. > :21:37.straight through Martin Castrogiovanni. If Italy went
:21:38. > :21:43.forward on the engagement it's easy for Martin Castrogiovanni.
:21:43. > :21:53.Yesterday, Wales next that up. They attacked square, out through the
:21:53. > :22:01.left. It was tactically the right plight and Italy did not have an
:22:02. > :22:10.answer. They must have had a word about Martin Castrogiovanni's
:22:10. > :22:15.technique but Adam Jones dominated. Wales seemed comfortable. A lot of
:22:15. > :22:19.that is down to your scrum-half and 10. The game of management was good.
:22:19. > :22:29.It was never going to be all- singing and dancing because the
:22:29. > :22:29.
:22:29. > :22:36.weather was poor. Their tactic was to put high balls to Leigh
:22:36. > :22:44.Halfpenny but I don't understand that because he is not a weak link.
:22:44. > :22:50.It was nice to see Wales attacking the line. That move was a carbon
:22:50. > :22:57.copy. There were two decoys with a Jonathan Davies and Jamie Roberts.
:22:57. > :23:02.With the dominance of the scrum, the half backs can attack either
:23:02. > :23:07.side and it takes the Italian back row was away from way you're going
:23:07. > :23:12.to attack. Hopefully they will build against Scotland. It's going
:23:12. > :23:18.to be very tough in Scotland. If they get the upper hand in the
:23:18. > :23:20.scrum, I would like to see them to more and isolate Alex Cuthbert or
:23:20. > :23:27.George North one-on-one it is a very tough tackle for the
:23:27. > :23:34.opposition. Wales have not conceded a try for two matches. They have
:23:34. > :23:40.obviously work done that. -- worked on that. They have won two away
:23:40. > :23:46.matches. It is not up to the away team's to entertain. You have to go
:23:46. > :23:56.there and win. To get two away wins on the bounce is no mean feat. The
:23:56. > :24:04.weather played a major factor yesterday. The ball was not in play
:24:04. > :24:09.for very long. The Italians like to keep it tight but Wales have
:24:09. > :24:15.changed their game plan. I think Jonathan Davies scored with his
:24:15. > :24:20.first touch. It was the turning- point of the game. If you look at
:24:20. > :24:24.the defensive line speed, it's very good. They also get off the ground
:24:24. > :24:28.quickly. The quicker they get off the ground back into position, the
:24:28. > :24:36.tougher it is for the opposition to break them down. And every player
:24:36. > :24:45.put pressure on Kristopher Burton. You knew the Italians were going to
:24:45. > :24:51.bleed a kicking game as soon as they picked him. -- going to play.
:24:51. > :24:53.They knew what the Italians are going to do by their selection. The
:24:54. > :25:01.pressurised the half backs brilliantly. Talking about that
:25:01. > :25:06.team spirit, when Martin Castrogiovanni got yellow-carded,
:25:06. > :25:12.they got a penalty and what struck me was that every single player
:25:12. > :25:17.run-up to Paul James and congratulated him. They have been
:25:17. > :25:27.stung by some of the criticism they have had in the press. They have
:25:27. > :25:37.got a bit of a siege mentality. Paul James did very well and
:25:37. > :25:39.
:25:39. > :25:42.learned that yellow-card but it's a psychological thing as well. I
:25:42. > :25:47.thought Paul James was tremendous yesterday. Italy were under
:25:47. > :25:54.pressure when Gethin Jenkins was on the field but the Italians scrum
:25:54. > :26:03.collapsed when Paul James come on. -- came on. Robert Howley has a
:26:04. > :26:06.dilemma because both props played well. Gethin Jenkins was fantastic
:26:06. > :26:16.yesterday but there's an argument for saying that Paul James should
:26:16. > :26:19.
:26:19. > :26:24.start the game and then you bring on Gethin Jenkins. Let's find out
:26:24. > :26:31.what our guest thinks of it. He I am joined by the former Wales prop,
:26:31. > :26:39.Ben Evans. Do you agree with the assessment of the dynamics of the
:26:39. > :26:46.scrum yesterday? I think Martin Castrogiovanni crucified and self.
:26:46. > :26:54.It is about staying straight. He was just going off to the left and
:26:54. > :26:59.he opened and self up. He kept doing the same thing. It was
:26:59. > :27:08.obvious why he was getting penalised. Was it a surprise to you
:27:08. > :27:14.how easy Wales made it look to destroy Italy in the scrum? Robin
:27:14. > :27:23.McBryde said in the week they were going to target it. They did that.
:27:23. > :27:29.The Italians are a bit of a one- trick pony. They only play well
:27:30. > :27:35.when the scrum goes fantastic. They wear upon us down. But the Welsh
:27:35. > :27:45.boys did great. Adam Jones was criticised after the French game
:27:45. > :27:46.
:27:46. > :27:53.but he answered his critics yesterday. He was world class. It
:27:53. > :28:03.was a world class performers. bring you some more action now from
:28:03. > :28:11.
:28:11. > :28:16.the and the 20s and also action unavailable, the Ospreys were too
:28:16. > :28:22.strong for Edinburgh. Morgan Allen crossed for two half tries to set
:28:22. > :28:32.them on the road to victory. the Ospreys make the most of it.
:28:32. > :28:32.
:28:32. > :28:41.Rhys Webb looking hungry. A great offload. The Ospreys have got the
:28:41. > :28:48.ball down. Rhys Webb's close-range effort gave the Ospreys A Cushing
:28:48. > :28:52.but the bonus point try eluded them. The Blues had never lost at home to
:28:52. > :29:02.Connaught but the visitors had a dream start scoring twice in the
:29:02. > :29:02.
:29:02. > :29:09.first five minutes. The home side fought back and took the lead when
:29:10. > :29:15.the number 8 cantered home. The Blues secured a consolation bonus
:29:15. > :29:20.point. The Scarlets were maul -- looking to move back into the play-
:29:20. > :29:26.off places but it was never going to be easy against a team that had
:29:26. > :29:30.won its last six matches. It was 11-five at half-time but three
:29:30. > :29:37.second half tries by Leinster in the second half gave them the bonus
:29:37. > :29:44.point when. It had been a difficult week for the Dragons following
:29:44. > :29:49.their record defeat by Glasgow last weekend and when Zebre scored on
:29:49. > :29:53.the stroke of half-time, it was not looking good. The visitors trailed
:29:53. > :30:01.13-3 after the break but the well- worked try for Jevon Groves and
:30:01. > :30:05.three penalties from Steffan Jones gave the Dragons a much needed win.
:30:05. > :30:10.Ulster remain on top despite their defeat to Glasgow this again. The
:30:10. > :30:20.Ospreys move the 4th and the Blues remain in 7th. The Dragons stay
:30:20. > :30:33.
:30:33. > :30:38.win over France at St Helens. The Welsh women won. And,
:30:38. > :30:46.legislations to Ireland on their first ever Triple Crown. -- and
:30:46. > :30:56.congratulations to Ireland. On Friday, conditions were more
:30:56. > :31:06.
:31:06. > :31:12.favourable for friend -- to Trench on. Daniel Thomas has a goal. Has
:31:12. > :31:19.he got the ball down? Yes! It has taken Wales less than a minutes and
:31:19. > :31:29.a half for the open in try, Danny Orr Thomas. -- for the opening try
:31:29. > :31:41.
:31:41. > :31:46.Lisa is with the coach and captain of the under 20s.
:31:46. > :31:51.That was a really hard fought win in terrible conditions.
:31:51. > :31:58.conditions were horrendous, we had a lot of rain, but we felt we had a
:31:58. > :32:03.game-plan and we could put on some pressure. The Italians didn't seem
:32:03. > :32:08.prepared at all, but your boys were really fired up. It was an area
:32:08. > :32:11.where they tried to play a bit in the middle third. Then we had a
:32:11. > :32:18.dominant scrum which gave us some advantage and a foothold in the
:32:18. > :32:22.game. Captain, let's cut to the chase, the Grand Slam is on? We are
:32:22. > :32:28.just focused on the next game. We play in Scotland a way, there was a
:32:28. > :32:33.good results yesterday. A good result against England and Italy as
:32:33. > :32:37.well, so we will focus on that game for the time being. Is there talk
:32:37. > :32:43.amongst the boys about the possibility of a Grand Slam? No, we
:32:43. > :32:48.are just focused on the Italy game. We are ready for the Scotland game.
:32:49. > :32:52.Will it be tough from Scotland? They have had three good results,
:32:52. > :33:02.they just lost to England and beat Italy quite comfortably. It will be
:33:02. > :33:08.
:33:08. > :33:12.a tough game. Best of luck, fingers And good luck to the under 20s.
:33:12. > :33:17.Back to the Six Nations, and you may already know that Rick O'Shea
:33:17. > :33:22.has adopted England as his team. No need for that booing, they are a
:33:22. > :33:26.very good side. Just accept it. We sent him to Twickenham yesterday
:33:26. > :33:32.and he track down one of the famous English mass Gotts.
:33:32. > :33:38.Last time, I met the folk from Avon mouth during my adopted nation's
:33:38. > :33:43.win over the Irish. Now I have come to meet arguably the biggest
:33:43. > :33:47.English fan. The closest Wales have to a mascot is the goat, and we
:33:47. > :33:55.think he might have been retired. We have all seen this fellow on
:33:55. > :34:01.television, it is him. Meet Mr England.
:34:01. > :34:05.# Been meet -- bring me my bow of burning gold. I started off with
:34:05. > :34:10.the Union Jack outfit, but I realised that was not quite right
:34:10. > :34:15.for Twickenham. I was supporting England against Wales and the other
:34:15. > :34:19.teams. So after about two years I made a saint George's cross out for
:34:19. > :34:25.it. I got a phone call that following Sunday saying, would you
:34:25. > :34:30.like to be the first ever official England mascot? I get two tickets,
:34:30. > :34:35.which is brilliant. I am honoured to be doing what I am doing.
:34:35. > :34:38.are your favourite fans in the Six Nations? I love the French, I have
:34:38. > :34:45.a great camaraderie which Jean- Claude, we go around the stadium
:34:45. > :34:52.together. The Welsh, to be honest, I get lots of grief. I get my hat
:34:52. > :34:59.knocked off my head. Can you understand his desire to beat
:34:59. > :35:04.England that we all have? -- This Desire? A game of rugby, you want
:35:04. > :35:08.to win every game. It by as the boys up to feel that the team are
:35:08. > :35:17.making a special effort just to beat the English -- it fires the
:35:17. > :35:24.boys up. My England face a brand new France. Wesley Fofana in the
:35:24. > :35:34.back. He was last seen wearing a Clermont shirt in January. Stand by
:35:34. > :35:52.
:35:52. > :36:02.for the cliche. Which French team try! Execution by friends. -- by
:36:02. > :36:02.
:36:02. > :37:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 44 seconds
:37:01. > :37:05.to allow any comes away. -- manner shall we say, attritional. It was
:37:05. > :37:14.shall we say, attritional. It was not pretty but England got better.
:37:14. > :37:20.Their wagon is still on the road. Let's get reaction. Some incredible
:37:20. > :37:24.substitutions by France. Incredible. Considering you change the team
:37:24. > :37:30.because they were not performing, why bring them on? But that is the
:37:30. > :37:34.madness of the French sometimes. Three games on the bounce now.
:37:34. > :37:42.Three games on the bounce and we have Wales to come after its elite.
:37:42. > :37:52.Where is John court? -- where is Jean-Claude? He is taking his kit
:37:52. > :37:56.
:37:56. > :38:02.off! When England get to Cardiff, will they have played four and won
:38:02. > :38:08.four? Italy are no pushover, so let's see. You know what they have
:38:08. > :38:14.made me do in Scrum V, they have made me adopt England. Where is
:38:14. > :38:19.your white and red? I was wearing its vast -- last week. You were
:38:19. > :38:24.wearing blue, as in France? You really wanted the French to win?
:38:24. > :38:29.could consider this bullying in the workplace, would you ever consider
:38:29. > :38:34.adopting Wales? I pretty much have. Who wouldn't want to play with that
:38:34. > :38:39.back line? There are 81,000 England fans here, I reckon you are the
:38:39. > :38:49.most fanatical. Would you ever consider adopting the neighbours?
:38:49. > :38:50.
:38:50. > :38:53.Would you ever take on Wales? How could I do that?! I admire you
:38:53. > :38:57.Welsh and the Irish and all that, but when you are British and you
:38:57. > :39:01.are proud, you have got medals on your chest comedy never take it
:39:01. > :39:09.away. It has been an absolute pleasure to meet you, thank you for
:39:09. > :39:14.your time. Take care, God bless. What have we learned? Peter cross
:39:14. > :39:18.is almost certainly England's biggest fan, and a pretty good
:39:18. > :39:23.bloke. You can get at their scrum on the field, the line-out can be a
:39:23. > :39:30.bit shoddy, but they are winning and they keep on winning. It looks
:39:30. > :39:34.like their bandwagon will roll all the way to Cardiff.
:39:34. > :39:39.Rickey is a very good sport for adopting England. Really enjoying
:39:39. > :39:44.those items, well done. What has happened to France? It is their
:39:45. > :39:50.worst run in a Five Nations or Six Nations since 1958. I don't know
:39:50. > :39:52.what the manager is thinking. He has made eight changes to the team.
:39:53. > :39:57.They were in the ascendancy and then he brings on all the blokes
:39:57. > :40:01.who lost two weeks before. It was ridiculous, they were playing
:40:01. > :40:09.really well. Take off all the guys he has brought in to change the
:40:10. > :40:16.game and bring in the blokes who lost. England made changes at 52
:40:16. > :40:25.minutes and every bloke added to the game. I think he panicked and
:40:25. > :40:29.so he took off Trinh-Duc, put Michalak on. He also took off para,
:40:29. > :40:34.and they are the players that everybody wanted to see. -- Dickov
:40:34. > :40:38.Morgan Parra. But England have a good pack. Given how well they
:40:38. > :40:41.played in the autumn, if you have beaten the All Blacks and you are
:40:41. > :40:47.taking on Wales and the rest of the teams who did not have such a good
:40:47. > :40:50.autumn, you would expect them to being a Grand Slam position?
:40:50. > :40:55.Picking up on was Gareth Owen Thomas said, international rugby is
:40:55. > :40:58.not about 15 players, you guys know that. England are in a position
:40:58. > :41:04.that they are bringing on players as good as or keeping the team
:41:04. > :41:10.fresh, Courtney Lawes starting this week, keeping people hungry. You
:41:10. > :41:13.need to be able to make those substitutions. I don't know what's
:41:13. > :41:18.Saint-Andre was thinking. But if you guys -- has those guys on the
:41:18. > :41:24.bench, he must be confident and putting them on the field. He has
:41:24. > :41:29.criticised the French team for not being fit. The League would suggest
:41:29. > :41:33.that. The guys are big, heavy and slow. He needs to be able to use
:41:33. > :41:36.his bench. Whether those seven players on the bench are the next
:41:37. > :41:41.seven best in France, Gareth is bang on the money, he needs to have
:41:41. > :41:45.the confidence to bring them on. Michalak has been dreadful, but he
:41:45. > :41:55.was brilliant in the autumn, he was magical. But he has really
:41:55. > :41:56.
:41:56. > :42:01.struggled. Fofana played brilliantly, they have the
:42:01. > :42:07.combination wrong at nine and 10. But for England, you can see the
:42:07. > :42:10.influence of Farrell coming through, they are running in pairs. Thief
:42:10. > :42:20.everybody wants to take the ball. They are hitting the ball at speed
:42:20. > :42:20.
:42:21. > :42:25.right on the gain-line and playing with the loss of confidence. I
:42:25. > :42:30.think Italy have blown their season to pieces. I think they will be to
:42:30. > :42:40.Italy and then come to Cardiff. Let's look at Wales' next opponents.
:42:40. > :42:44.
:42:44. > :42:54.This afternoon, they took on great headway. That was a little
:42:54. > :43:26.
:43:26. > :43:30.long way as stray. Good girl, -- good goal, his first points in
:43:30. > :43:40.international rugby. The first points in this match, richly
:43:40. > :43:48.
:43:48. > :43:53.the first half come in the second? Scotland are defending desperately.
:43:53. > :44:03.Gilroy got it down. Craig Gilroy has the score for Ireland. It comes
:44:03. > :44:07.
:44:07. > :44:14.eventually and quickly in the advantage. Just checking to see if
:44:14. > :44:24.you still have the advantage. Kelly Brown almost got there. He thinks
:44:24. > :44:36.
:44:36. > :44:46.Scotland lead 9-8 at Murrayfield. Deep inside the in-goal area. The
:44:46. > :44:54.
:44:54. > :45:04.kick is good. Stuart Hogg. For his 4th of the day. That is through the
:45:04. > :45:06.
:45:06. > :45:12.middle and Scotland are four points This is how the six nations table
:45:12. > :45:22.looks. England are on course for the Grand Slam. Wales and Scotland
:45:22. > :45:24.
:45:24. > :45:34.behind them and they play each other next. For Wales, it is
:45:34. > :45:36.
:45:36. > :45:41.Scotland next. How on earth Ireland didn't beat Scotland today, but
:45:41. > :45:51.they weren't clinical enough. There seems to be an opportunity a full
:45:51. > :45:53.
:45:53. > :45:57.Wales in the 10 and 12 area. -- opportunity for Wales. If we can
:45:57. > :46:02.use some decoy runners, we might be able to get through with the likes
:46:02. > :46:09.of Alex Cuthbert. A poor Mr tackle and Greg Laidlaw doesn't get there.
:46:09. > :46:14.There are surely opportunities for Wales. Scott Johnson knows the
:46:14. > :46:18.players and the coaches. There will be some a mind games this week.
:46:18. > :46:23.With Alun Wyn Jones coming off the bench, Sam Warburton coming on
:46:23. > :46:33.quite early and Ryan Jones off with 15 minutes to go, who weighs you
:46:33. > :46:33.
:46:33. > :46:40.pick for Scotland in two weeks' time? -- who would you. I think you
:46:40. > :46:45.pick the team you think will start its England. It looks as if Paul
:46:45. > :46:54.James will start because Gethin Jenkins has a calf in history -- in
:46:54. > :46:58.-- injury. We have the match Scotland physically. I think the
:46:58. > :47:04.backs will stay the same. If we don't do it and it doesn't go right
:47:04. > :47:09.against Scotland, we have to make changes. Waders Sam Warburton play?
:47:09. > :47:14.I would play him instead of Justin Tipuric and Bryn Justin Tipuric
:47:14. > :47:22.when the game breaks up. It is going to be a dogfight in the first
:47:22. > :47:31.half against England soak get Sam Warburton on and Alun Wyn Jones on.
:47:31. > :47:41.I disagree. I think Alun Wyn Jones is a world class player. I think
:47:41. > :47:42.
:47:42. > :47:47.Ryan Jones brings a lot of the team. He was the top hat a yesterday.
:47:47. > :47:54.often watched the game and he is not running 70 metres but the
:47:54. > :47:58.amount of work Ryan Jones gets through is a lot. I am a massive
:47:58. > :48:08.fan of Sam Warburton but Justin Tipuric is not doing anything wrong.
:48:08. > :48:09.
:48:09. > :48:14.He is one of the fittest players we have. He steals balls and steps him.
:48:14. > :48:19.But Sam Warburton can do the same thing. I thought Paul James was
:48:19. > :48:27.immense yesterday. If we can get that formal -- forward dominance.
:48:27. > :48:33.If you look at the statistics, it is ridiculous. You would out-
:48:33. > :48:39.thought Ireland would have won by 25 points. The Scottish defence was
:48:39. > :48:43.OK but if any of the side had that amount of ball against Scotland,
:48:43. > :48:47.Scotland will lose. Scotland have to keep ball because if Wales have
:48:47. > :48:55.that amount of ball and territory they will win. If they can dominate
:48:55. > :49:04.the scrum and bring the wingers in, I think Wales will win.
:49:04. > :49:13.Scottish back row played well today. I don't think by making changes, I
:49:13. > :49:17.don't think it is negative. It is just giving you a chance for the
:49:18. > :49:22.week after. We went eight games without a win and I don't see the
:49:22. > :49:32.point in tinkering too much with a team that is winning. Possibly Alun
:49:32. > :49:32.
:49:33. > :49:39.Wyn Jones should play. You have to make brave decisions. But you have
:49:39. > :49:47.world class players on the bench. These are the 15 that have won the
:49:47. > :49:51.last two games. Whichever side he picks, they have to look at the
:49:52. > :49:57.line breaks that Luke Marshall made. There is a clear weakness in the
:49:57. > :50:01.Scottish midfield. Sean Lamont is a winger and if you isolate him, he
:50:01. > :50:07.does not know where to go. It is very difficult coming from a wing
:50:07. > :50:12.and going to play in a very defensive position in the centre.
:50:12. > :50:22.If they target him with a dummy runners, I think they will cut them.
:50:22. > :50:25.They have to dominate the set piece. The Scottish scrum was good today.
:50:25. > :50:33.They have got some steel in the pack and their line-out is
:50:33. > :50:37.exceptional. Their line-out on your ball is exceptional as well. We
:50:37. > :50:44.have to make sure our line out is good. They are winning games as
:50:44. > :50:53.well. Before, they were losing them. The one area that Rob Howley needs
:50:53. > :51:03.to address his the line-out. It was a bit shaky. It looks as if it was
:51:03. > :51:05.
:51:05. > :51:11.a premeditated decision to go along. It was tough on Richard Hibbard.
:51:11. > :51:16.Let's find out what Ben Evans thinks. Should we be preparing with
:51:16. > :51:20.a view to winning points because it's going to be a showdown against
:51:20. > :51:26.England and it's about points. won't be a showdown unless we win
:51:26. > :51:33.in Scotland. We cannot take our eye off the Scotland game. I've played
:51:33. > :51:39.up there and got beaten. The Scottish will not lie down. You
:51:39. > :51:43.have to make the England game a showdown by beating Scotland.
:51:43. > :51:53.aspect of Scotland's game should be looking out for? They never lie
:51:53. > :52:03.down. They have assured their scrum that. -- they have strengthened
:52:03. > :52:03.
:52:03. > :52:13.their scrum and we cannot underestimate them. If Gethin
:52:13. > :52:17.
:52:17. > :52:22.Jenkins is not fit, then Paul James is a more destructive scrummager.
:52:22. > :52:26.It is now time to go into the Lions den and play selective. Last time
:52:26. > :52:36.out it was Kingsley Jones goal was our man in the den but this week it
:52:36. > :52:40.is the man sitting next to him. is the Lions den once again. Last
:52:40. > :52:50.week's select the Kingsley Jones gave a first chance for a couple of
:52:50. > :52:52.
:52:52. > :52:59.Scots including at fullback Stuart Hogg. Selecting this week, the
:52:59. > :53:06.legendary John of the look at this for a change in the back three.
:53:06. > :53:12.Tommy Bowe comes in and no Leigh Halfpenny. Jonathan Davies never
:53:12. > :53:20.went on a Lions tour so he picked Jonathan Davies for this one
:53:20. > :53:27.alongside Brian O'Driscoll. At half-back, Jonathan Sexton comes
:53:27. > :53:33.back in and is partnered by Danny Care. In the back row, Justin
:53:33. > :53:41.Tipuric and Chris Robshaw and Toby Faletau. In the boiler house, Alun
:53:41. > :53:47.Wyn Jones wins his place back from Richie Gray. As for the front row,
:53:47. > :53:52.it is the same a best two mates to partner the Ulster hooker. That is
:53:52. > :54:02.the team. Six Welsh cover five Irish, three English and one Scott
:54:02. > :54:06.
:54:06. > :54:16.and no Leigh Halfpenny. The crowd did not like that. No Leigh
:54:16. > :54:20.
:54:20. > :54:28.Halfpenny. That is a controversial decision. I'm glad I picked him
:54:28. > :54:32.last week. Next week, I will pick up 15 Welsh players! I just feel
:54:32. > :54:38.that Leigh Halfpenny has been amazing but for me Stuart Hogg
:54:38. > :54:48.gives them an advantage attacking wise. He has got pace and he adds a
:54:48. > :54:50.
:54:50. > :54:55.bit extra in attack. I think Tommy Bowe is class. Manu Tuilagi has
:54:55. > :54:59.been brilliant but Brian O'Driscoll is brilliant as well. England have
:54:59. > :55:05.got two very good scrum halves. Mike Phillips played very well
:55:05. > :55:11.yesterday but Kenyans and Danny Care are very good. Danny Care has
:55:11. > :55:21.scored some brilliant tries for Harlequins. Adam Jones and Alun Wyn
:55:21. > :55:22.
:55:22. > :55:27.Jones are world class. Toby Faletau has been our main ball carrier.
:55:27. > :55:33.Chris Robshaw has had to man of the match performances and plays like a
:55:33. > :55:38.Blindside flanker. Is he big enough? If you pick a big front
:55:38. > :55:44.five ins to Australia, you have the opportunity of having a fast back
:55:44. > :55:49.row. It's going to change next week. I was talking to Rob Howley after
:55:49. > :55:54.the game yesterday and he would not be drawn on any Lions selections. I
:55:54. > :56:04.said Leigh Halfpenny has got to go. Is there anybody guaranteed to go
:56:04. > :56:05.
:56:05. > :56:12.right now? I think George North is on the plane. It is still early
:56:12. > :56:20.days though. Alun Wyn Jones is playing now. He was not playing
:56:20. > :56:28.last week. There is a long way to go and they are very few players
:56:28. > :56:34.that will be mailed on on the plane. I think Owen Farrell has been
:56:34. > :56:44.outstanding for England. Owen Farrell and Jonathan Sexton are the
:56:44. > :56:46.
:56:46. > :56:52.clear front-runners for the number 10. Who would you pick as captain?
:56:52. > :56:58.It has to be somebody who is sure of his Test place. Chris Robshaw is
:56:58. > :57:08.not a bad argument. Do you have the name you are captain before you go
:57:08. > :57:13.
:57:13. > :57:19.out? -- your captain. It is a lot of pressure to put on one player.
:57:19. > :57:25.think he will have an idea of his Test team before he goes. Brian
:57:25. > :57:30.O'Driscoll can play 12 or 13. It is going to be very tough to pick the
:57:30. > :57:36.captain. Let's go back to Scotland. Do you fancy Wales at their? If we
:57:36. > :57:41.keep improving and keep building, they will offer what Italy offered.
:57:41. > :57:47.They are always good in the set piece. I think we have to worry a
:57:47. > :57:51.bit more about their backs because Scott Johnson is a very good coach.
:57:51. > :57:56.He did wonders with the Welsh back line and I'm sure there will have a
:57:56. > :58:03.few surprises. Would you please join me in thanking Kingsley Jones,
:58:03. > :58:07.Jonathan Davies, Gareth Llewellyn and Tom Shanklin. We also have