Rugby Special: Fourth Round Six Nations Rugby

Round 4, and England's amazing Technicolor dream victory under 60

point nightmare for the Scots. If every match was like this we would

not need weekends. The colossal Celtic collision in Cardiff. And

always in the game at half-time but out of it by the end, Italy remain

rooted to the foot of the table as the French revival continues. Hello,

plenty to discuss on this Sunday afternoon, three players join us

with different emotions. Mike Tindall, World Cup winning centre

and to scrum-half 's, Andy Nichol and Peter Stringer. And we start at

Twickenham. It felt like summer and while England basked in a

chairmanship winning performance, but -- for Scotland felt the bleak

midwinter afternoon. Twickenham are in good voice. Towards the end of

the Six Nations you might think that injuries were taking their toll but

quite the opposite for England. Eddie Jones has a close to full

strength squad. Marler wins his 50th cap. Nathan Hughes retains his place

despite the return of Billy Vunipola. The major news at the back

line is that Farrell has recovered from his leg injury. Jonathan Joseph

is outside, then Young's takes over from Danny care. For Scotland, there

is the impressive Watson back to start. John Barclay captains at sex

and the Glasgow front row will have to survive big pressure up front.

Vern Cotter resisting any urge to bring in Sean Maitland.

Ten Glasgow players in the starting 15. And on the bench, look at the

bench for England, great depth, how any side would love to call upon the

likes of Vunipola. -- of the two Vunipola. There is Russell, little

chip, being watched by Jack no. Mike Brown spins through the challenge.

Carried in by 56 macro. Ford, get it to Farrell -- Lawes. James Haskell.

A penalty advantage to England. They are down a man, is it Elliot Daly?

It is and it does not look good for him. Fraser Brown has been picked

out. You're both horizontal, you brought him down and he lands on his

back. That may well save him and be the differentiator between a yellow

card and a red card. He clearly went through the tackle knowing that the

man would release the ball. It is going to be a yellow card at least.

The Twickenham crowd bays for blood. Fraser Brown is going off for ten

minutes. From the point of view of Scotland, it is a start they did not

want. Unnecessary penalty. Did not need to do that. I don't know what

goes through the minds of players, because Daly was always going to

release the ball. He was not going to get there in time and to go and

do that, that was pointless. Try to control the overexcitement and the

adrenaline and sometimes it gets too much and England have the ball, the

touch and the extra man advantage for ten minutes and Anthony Watson

is on for Elliot Daly. Elliot Daly, we should mention of course, is

suffering off the pitch. There is going to be a try. Jonathan Joseph,

flying to the line, England a try up, a man up, what a start! England

take full advantage of Scotland being a man down. Scotland could not

commit as many players to the line-out and England were clever.

They tried to release the ball early. They are a man down. A simple

miss tackle. The man down was because Scotland lost their poker.

Alex Dunbar missed the tackle, he does not miss too many, but Joseph

is a try scoring machine. Stuart Hogg is going off for a head injury

assessment. Scotland did not want that. He was in the form of his

life. 13 macro is a talismanic figure. -- Hogg. 55-macro chipset.

No Hogg for Scotland -- Youngs. Scotland are deep in their own 22.

To the forwards. Risky pass, Joseph tried to get to it. Kamikaze stuff.

So close to your own try line. Scotland may be behind but they are

still within two scores and they should not be chasing. Then it is

down at the moment and that is where it happened. -- Five Live. --

Bennett. Joseph once again through the middle, lovely step, what a try

from Jonathan Joseph, two tries for the flying centre and England are

cutting loose. Superb footwork from Jonathan Joseph. Quick ball. He was

the dummy runner. Back in at the ankle, gets in the Scotland defender

-- inside the Scotland defender. England are running away with this

and we here at that Hogg is not coming back, he failed the head

injury assessment. Scotland as close to the England try line as they have

been, they are 20 points down, England are flying towards the

title. Barclay takes it down, did not look too straight. Scotland

coming in, Fraser Brown getting within two meters. Scotland closing

them. Driver over and the try is given. It is Gordon Reid who will

come up for the ball for his first try for Scotland. Scotland have a

sign of some live. They really needed that, it was Greg Wood, the

quick ball around the corner, England could not reorganise

insufficient numbers. You have got James Haskell. He has grounded that.

That is a try. England's line-out a functioning so well. The little pass

works out, Jonathan Joseph again. The try is there for Anthony Watson.

And England go from strength to strength, this time Joseph is the

creator, what's in the scorer. It was a good ball. You have the dummy

run, he takes the player out -- Watson is the scorer. That is a

lovely step. Watson outside him, that is a lovely try. England

rampaging forward again and here comes Jonathan Joseph. Little step

and a shimmy and he is away. Mike Brown. Up to within 12 metres of the

line. Scotland in desperate defence, Haskel carries. -- 29-macro. --

James Haskell. Mike Brown gets it back and Jack

Nolan coming in off the wing. Youngs to Lawes. Still with England

and still they come through, Nathan Hughes. A quick ball for England and

a try and a hat-trick for Jonathan Joseph, two and a half minutes into

the second half and England pick up where they left off in the first

half. Jonathan Joseph, what a beautiful line. There are not that

many players out there but it is that line. Barclay is calling for it

and gives it to forge. He does well. Good strength within three or four

metres -- 25-macro. 32-macro flings himself into the tackle -- Ford.

-- Itoje. Sprinters in the block, as they come. It is a try for Hugh

Jones and Scotland have another try. They got something from this dark

afternoon and a good try. Good patient work, not panicking or

taking the other option. The important thing was that once you

keep going that way, you make sure you do not suddenly fade and decide

to go wide. Good try. England with a great opportunity again. Longer this

time, but Itoje takes it down and England try a game. They are driving

towards the line, charging to the line and the try is there and it is

the giant returning to the side, Billy Vunipola, embraced warmly by

his team-mates, welcome back to international rugby. We see the

Scotland attempt to stop the drive. Right at the back. It rebounded on

Vunipola, it was a blocker. The Scotland scrum. Just under 12

minutes to go. Pyrgos gets it. Jones stands strong in the challenge.

Scotland with options either side, Russell. Heading to the line. Three

metres short. Scotland again come crashing in. Russell once more. Gray

takes the thump. It will be out wide. Labouring to the try line. Try

given once more it is Hugh Jones. Second try in the game that Scotland

have, they have their third. Comes in, -- comes inside. They will not

make a tackle with the inside arm. Jones showing his talent as a

finisher again. Itoje I gain, Billy Vunipola gets it again. The try is

there. Look so simple by England, so devastating in the finishing. First

of all, the throw is spot on, he is right at the top of the job. The

Scotland jumper cannot get near it and Itoje can control it. Perfect

position for driving it if they want to. They choose not to. The back row

has come in to stop the drive and that creates space out wide. It look

simple and it is if you do everything right.

Three minutes over the 80 we have played. Advantage to England.

Penalty is there. Flung wide again and Billy Vunipola.

Still advantage to England, coming from 10 metres out now. The game

goes on, the passes loosening. 12 phases. England out wide and

Launchbury to a roar of the crowd, Care now gives it on. Mako Vunipola.

The final pass. It is Danny Care and England with a conversion to come

will surely hit 60. The Twickenham faithful are on their feet and I'm

not surprised, England have given them a performance to be proud of.

England win with a humbling of Scotland. They're the Six Nations

champions again and win by the highest ever score against Scotland,

61-21. You retained the title and equalled New Zealand's record of 18

victories, how proud are you? Our focus is already on Ireland. We want

to win the Grand Slam. It is a chance to make history. No one's

ever won back-to-back Grand Slams in Six Nations history. There is only

four in the history of five and Six Nations. We are pleased to be Six

Nations champions, but the Grand Slam is something we are looking

forward to. We put in a good performance and we helped them, that

is frustrating. That is two away games and eight concussions, we

finished up with a half-back on the wing and a few other bits and

pieces. We started poorly and although we scored three tries, it,

we look at the score and we are disappointed. Chuffed to bits what,

a performance from the guys. We put pressure on ourselves to start well.

You guys have been banging the drum about not starting well, so it means

nothing unless we perform in Dublin. Was that you saying to Eddie Jones,

don't drop me again? No a lot of the tries came from set piece moves and

my job is to do these. The forwards gave us the platform and George and

bep Youngs created it. What is the success down to? Good players, we

have good players and they have now got a mind set of wanting to be the

best in the world and keep improving. If we keep working hard,

we will be the best in the world. England are champions for the second

season in a row with a game to spare. England go to Dublin in

pursuit of the Grand Slam next weekend. But it was a strange

experience to be at Twickenham yesterday, we expected a great,

compelling contest, but the gulf between the sides was so vast it was

a bit flat as an occasion. We will talk about how good England were in

a second, but Andy, a lot of people were saying last night that in many

ways the game was almost decided in the first two minutes. Yes it was a

painful experience for the players, but also the spectators. I don't

think anyone saw it coming. I certainly expected Scotland to be

competitive and their defence has been strong and the attack had been

good and I thought they would pose a real test for England. But it was

anything but. The yellow card, was that the killer almost from the word

go? Scotland's start in general. When you go to Twickenham, you need

to stop England getting into the game, this was the first time

Russell got the ball. Good possession goes England's way. But

this is Fraser Brown about two minutes in and he puts in a good

hit, intimidate the opposition, but what he didn't do was bring him

down-to-earth correctly and he went above the horizontal and he landed

on his back. It was silly, it was a yellow card, down to 14 men, the

worst possible start. Then you want to control the game, take the pace

out of it. Russell missed that. He tried to get three points. He is too

far. This pass drops and he has got to be further forward so he has a

chance. Although he gets charged down, a better pass, quicker on the

ground he gets this. Phraser Brown comes off after ten minutes. All you

want to do get the ball and control it. He overthrows it. Maybe too much

adrenaline. Maybe trying to make up for that error. But it was error

after error. Russell getting the ball knocked out by Launchbury.

These things compounded everything. The scrum has been an issue for

Scotland. Didn't have an impact yesterday. This was the first scrum

of the day. Penalty and further back into Scotland's defence. This is

where, that is the last five minutes of your four points down, not in the

first 18 minutes. Russell chasing the game. A hail Mary pass that

could have been another try. It was so many mistakes and there was

injuries, Stewart Hogg, who has been on fire for Scotland, went off with

a head injury. He was replaced by Bennett, the first time he touched

it it looks like a bad injury and Scotland after 20 minutes are making

mistakes, they have not had any chance and you have got a back line

that was anything but what they looked to start with. You have Price

making his second start of the wing. A winger at full-back. So that, they

wouldn't have prepared for any eventuality of that happening. So

poor play, a bit of bad luck, but it was a terrible start and they never

got over that. They were chasing it from minute two. But England were

ruthless. Yeah, I think that was the best thing to come out of that game

for England was how not only ruthless in terms of wanting to

score more points, but being Llyn kral. The try -- but being clinical.

The tries were innovative, but looking at Scotland, not to heap

pressure on them, once nay lost their shape, they were too wide.

Now, as any centre, he has got to get Josephs. If you have someone

with that much gas, you can't give him the space to create those

opportunities. You have to go and meet him and shut down his space.

They're perfectly set up for how they want to be. It is a man on man

situation. We would like Visser nor midfield. If you sit off and watch

Dunbar, he allows Joseph to go at him and when something has

afterburners like that, you can't do that. That is when they had their

normal back line. Once it changes, as we will show you, it... I

understand why it happened, but someone's got to be pulling that

together, whether it is Dunbar, but someone's got to have a go. Here

England have been creative and they have got a 7-man lineout and used

Youngs and Farrell. What Scotland have done is thrown up a tail pod.

What normally hatches is the last man would be your tail gunner and

take the first attacker and be an inside support for the 10. But

because they have had to put their 9n as we roll it on, Youngs plays

the usual 9 Farrell does a great job. But he should have someone on

his inside to take that. But you have price all the way out. He needs

to be nearer. Watson, they have gone man-to-man to match up on Hughes.

But he has got ahead of his line and you have five England attackers

against three defenders. And you know, Watson gets ahead and they

make a bad decision and they're in no-man's land. Jones is in no-man's

land. The feet of Joseph to score, he has no right to score that. You

would expect somebody to put a hand on him there and it just doesn't

happen. But pit is fantastic footwork. But well played by

England. Now we have gone on, so two attacks off line-outs have been

around the midfield and let's try and force them wide. But again

Scotland start too wide. They do have a tail gunner off the back. But

for some reason this time Russell decides to fly straight on and 10

and leaves his next three attackers exposed. This is too wide and

they're exposed and they have no inside defence and again England run

a smart out the back play. What Jonathan Joseph does is great heads

up rugby. He saw the hole was out wide and perfect and once you have

got through that, that has been clinical. If Visser was narrower he

would have been able to get Watson down, but just the smarts of Joseph

to change his line and then buy time and wait for someone to turn up. The

timing of the pass as well was fantastic. And unselfish. Sometimes

people try to score that themselves, but that was the best thing about

England, they were unselfish in making sure they just scored. What

do you think about England? They looked good in patches. I think we

haven't seen the best of them F you stand off them, they have a quality

back line and they can create tries. Disappointing for Scotland. You

would expect the first 20 minutes Scotland to come to Twickenham in

the way they have played, take it to England, they conceded I think five

penalties in the first 18 or 19 minutes, gifting England points and

territory. That is the longest last thing you want -- that is the last

thing you want to do. After the Italian game, England were not

impressive. You want to put doubts in England heads. Aggressive. But

England did a ruthless job. Played 18 and won 18 for England. That

equals New Zealand world record. Actually looking at the figures,

actually the world record, although it is not a tier one country, for 24

consecutive convict ripries -- countries held by. Cyprus. Did you

know that somebody told you that in your ear. It is Cyprus. So the big

debate is New Zealand again public sector England, will it happen?

There was talk that maybe they're negotiations going on to try and

have a game in the autumn. Today on Radio 5 Live the

New Zealand coach was complimentary about England. I would like to

congratulate them on equalling the record. It is great for rugby, we

want real competition and games that people want to come and watch and

get excited by and Eddie has installed a want and desire that

hasn't been there before. We have felt England have had plenty of

talent, but haven't wanted to work hard and they seem to be doing that

now under Eddie and it is no surprise they're putting a run

together that is impressive. He was talking about the motivation and the

mentality, that poses the question of if England were to play the All

Blacks, how many members of England team would get into the current New

Zealand set up? How many do you think? It would be

difficult I would make a case for both the Vunipolas to be there. Reid

is outstanding. Mako, the way he keeps the ball alive and we saw in

that last try to throw the dummy off-load. Our second rows are in a

good place. Now they have two world class second rose, I think we have

two. Was that all eight? I will put cases for. As a starter, Mako would

probably be a finisher, but I think Billy has been fantastic for England

and... This is the New Zealand side that played against Ireland in the

autumn. Which England backs get in that seven? I think Farrell gets in.

Probably at 12, I don't think you can dislodge Barrett. That back

three is good. Yes, I think Farrell fitting in at 12. New Zealand have

tried a centre combinations over the last couple of months and have yet

to decide on what their best two are. Most New Zealand players in

that team, but fla the team that Ireland beat in November. England

would win that game. It is a game we would love to see. They're matched

up nicely. To be continued. Now back three days or two days to the start

of fourth weekend of Six Nations in Cardiff. It was savage and

stupendous and it was Wales against Ireland.

O'Brien. Six running on the sideline. Toner. -- Zebo. CJ

standard could not quite get it away and Ireland have the advantage. --

CJ Stander. Scrum becomes a penalty. Holds its line. Ireland take the

lead. Scott Williams. Jonathan Davies slightly behind him and the

ball comes to Liam Williams. It is well read by Donny -- Jonny Sexton.

He stayed down to prevent the tackle being made. Stay down long enough

for reinforcements to arrive. Toner was brought down by war Britain.

Sexton stays down. Marie has to clear -- 98.

-- Murray. -- Warburton. Paddy Jackson will come on the coast Jonny

Sexton will have to go off for the head injury assessment. Ken Bowens

throws and Sam Warburton wins the line-out. Ross Moriarty to Rhys

Webb. Scott Williams is through. Long pass to Leigh Halfpenny. George

North is back with a vengeance. Fantastic pass. Great finish from

George North. What a finish. That is a brilliant finish. Great support

for the inter-passing. Brilliant vision. This is the support they

have lacked in the past games. What a finish. Toner again sets up the

driving maul. CJ Stander against Tipuric. Another penalty against

Tipuric. Yes. He has got to release the ball when he has tackled him.

Paddy Jackson, 13 out on his last 13. 14 out of 14, Ireland take the

lead at the principality stadium. -- Principality Stadium. Dan Biggar.

Conor Murray is down. It looks to be his rest that he is clutching. Wales

are in possession. -- it looks to be his arm. Leigh Halfpenny against

Zebo. Leigh Halfpenny gets a hand on it. Wales will have to put in at the

scrum. Big collision there with George North for Conor Murray. That

could be a bad injury for a lot of teams, also for Munster. Conor

Murray, his bicep seems to be OK. For the moment.

Justin Tipuric, Wales keeping it tight. Not many options for width.

Ken Owens. Warburton. Jake Ball. It is a penalty for Wales that last and

it is the kick by web to Leigh Halfpenny. Jonathan Davies, a foot

short. A advantage again, yellow cards. -- Webb. Jonny Sexton is

going into the bin, clearly killing the ball on the line. It is no place

for an outside have to be. You cannot get out of there. I do not

see how he can get out of there. Leigh Halfpenny lands the penalty

and Wales take the lead. It has been an exhilarating half, it has had a

bit of everything. Sean O'Brien has got loose, Scott Williams got a boot

to it. Rhys Webb. George North takes a pass. Tipuric pops it up. Rhys

Webb, for Scott Williams, the Chase, Conor Murray has to turn with Leigh

Halfpenny in hot pursuit. Just about find the touch. Conor Murray did

well. Big moment here. Ken Owens prepares the throw. The model is on.

-- maul. It is there, George North, for a

second time. The line-out maul was set up so well. It look so tight

that the Irish have to commit numbers, they are down a man. This

man is really putting his mark on the game, so is Rhys Webb. Conor

Murray's evening is over and it gets no easier for Ireland.

Heaslip. Two passes, Ireland suddenly go wide. Leigh Halfpenny,

tries to avoid the touch and it falls back over the goal line. Five

metre line-out, Ireland throne. And Rory Best gives the signal.

Henderson wins. Charteris. Clever play by Ireland, they have stopped

Charteris getting near the ball and on comes the drive by Rory Best.

Rory Best edges closer, help arrives from the outside.

I think it is a penalty to Wales. Number 12 run from the distance in

front of the ball. That is obstruction and that is a penalty. I

think he has a point. He has the bind over the back of the ball. It

is harsh enough. If he had put an arm over the top of Rory breast as

he went into that maul, I think it might be a penalty -- Rory Best.

Ireland standing still and taking the ball. Is there anyway out of

this 22 Ireland trail by 26 points. Robert six we wait for Wayne Burns

to award the try and he has and Wales have just won the encounter.

Fair play to Wales and they have just paid and Ireland dine, put them

under incredible pressure. They did well in the second half -- they put

Ireland down. No one has felt that pressure more than the Welsh

coaching staff, what a response. We knew there was going to be a

reaction. You have to play like that, with or without the ball.

There was a lot of hurt in the camp and I am very proud of the players.

They deserve that. We did not get the bounce of the ball a couple of

times. Credit to Wales, they were under pressure and I think they have

always demonstrated that when they are under pressure, they come up

with big moment and they won some really big ones tonight. It looked

as though you had scored close to the end of the game only for Robbie

Henshaw to be penalised, what is your view of what happened there? We

felt we were going well and going forward and Wayne Barnes is a top

referee and I think that will be one of the mistakes we made that we will

be disappointed with. I said that the last couple of weeks, you look

in the mirror and locate yourself the players have done that, they are

very honest about their performance against Scotland and they have come

out and I think they can stand proud tonight and enjoy the night. It was

a ferocious encounter and in case you have not read about it or seen

it, just look at these statistics for the number of tackles made in

this match. The highest number in a Six Nations game. 341 tackles in a

single match. We keep talking about the brutality and physicality of

that game and the concussions that Scotland have suffered, no one was

really injured in that game but it was just immense. Where was won and

lost for you? The first ten minutes, you look at the aggression and

physicality, 50 odd tackles in the first ten minutes. The two sets of

teams, the line speed was incredible, Ireland play a game

based on their back row carrying the ball, getting over the game line.

Ireland being patient, carrying the ball in the 22 and the Welsh back

row were commenced all night and nullified any carries that the

irish-macro attempted to make. Ireland being patient but a good

tackle by Rhys Webb. The Welsh back row was so aggressive. Jamie Heaslip

does not make any yards and I think you resort to kicking the ball to

try and do something different. The right idea but not that accurate in

giving the ball back to the Welsh. Huge credit to Wales from the point

of view of a defensive average. The line speed shot Ireland down.

Scotland did the same two Ireland in the opening game. On the back of

that, they did not have a chance to get over the gain line and play.

From the Welsh point of view, they were under pressure, it was an

immense response? It was the reaction that Rob Howley wanted. I

was in Wales and they were beating themselves up. This Welsh team, I

think they are a good team that was playing badly, they have fantastic

players, the likes of Warburton, Alun Wyn, Dan Biggar, they have top

quality and they had a real bite about them on Friday night and I

think on Friday night, when the stadium close, they were going to be

a tough team to beat. There were some people who said that they

watched it in their local rugby club and said they had never known the

bar be so quiet, everyone was stunned into silence by the ferocity

of those opening assaults. We have seen through the standards, it has

lifted a level. The England and Wales game was one of the most

physical I have seen for a long time and it continued on Friday night.

That is one thing that has been different about Wales, they brought

that pretty much every game. The Scotland game network form that have

not quite have the creativity we have been used to. That was more

apparent, George North was a completely different player. I think

that was the biggest difference, they actually brought a variety to

their game which allowed them to get on the front foot ahead of Ireland.

Wayne Barnes may not be the most popular referee in Ireland but he

had a great game on Friday night which enabled it to be such a great

spectacle. Two key decisions, Johnny Sexton in the sin bin and then the

no try decision, what do you feel about them? It is difficult to argue

with his decision. Johnny makes a good tackle

initially, he is rolled into the path of the ball. As difficult as it

is to get out of there, your one yard from the line and the Welsh

guys are doing everything they can to pin him then and that is a

decision that the referee has to make. If he is not there, Wales can

score and it is five points. It is the correct decision. Likewise here,

maul is going forward. Robbie Henshaw feels like he can add some

weight to it. Robbie has joined just ahead

He made it easy for Wayne Barnes, because he almost knocked into him.

Both decisions were close calls, but they were both right. He had no

option. You mentioned George North, it was welcome back to the big time?

Yes speaking to Andy, he wasn't at the races in that Scotland game.

Whether that was because he was not fully recovered from his dead leg,

but on the weekend he was running aggressively and hard. Here with

this, Peter's going to jump in, Jackson's ahead of where he wants to

be. Great support from Rees Webb and the pass accurate and George on the

wing, physical, the power takes him over. But we are seeing a different

man. I think Leigh Halfpenny gave that pass at the perfect time. Hit

the was cute play by -- this was cute play by Webb. Best has got to

stay there to mark the blindside. Webb just is waiting ing for Best to

vacate that position. A great finish from Wales, before that you had 14

phases from Ireland in the Welsh 22. Great line speed from Wales and they

turned the ball over and got in the corner. Wales using great width and

so physical and powerful. On a weekend like this, a lot of players

maybe played their way on to the Lions party and some went down the

pecking order. George Nith was mass -- North was massively in credit.

His coach made him stand up and said he wasn't good enough against

Scotland. He has responded in the only way he can. Not just in attack,

but he was physical in defence. Don't know if he doesn't like

Cairney. Here is the question, Peter, England going for the Grand

Slam, but Ireland would love nothing more than to deny England, given

what we have seen in the last 48-hours, and perhaps give than

Eddie O'Sullivan said today he thinks Ireland are too predictable

in attack, how can Ireland beat England next weekend? They have got

to win the gain line. That has been the core element of their success in

recent months. Dominating that gain line with the ball carriers they

have, front row, back row, come on to the ball at pace, there is a

call, or the question over whether they mix up the back row. Just to

bring that physicality and aggression that they will need

against the English pack. There is plenty of questions, but I think

going to Dublin, you know, obviously England will be favourites, but I

wouldn't be surprised if Ireland pull off a win. They have done it in

the past. On the one occasion they didn't, that was the era when you

were playing, what do you think, do England do more of the same or do

Ireland pose a different challenge? It is difficult, I have been on both

sides of the fence, in 2003 and in 2001 - 2011 I got injured and

Ireland frustrated England and played a simple game. Played a lot

of high-Ballater tri. Ball territory. And frustrating the

forwards. Not allowing them to have the ball they want. Set pieces are

going to be massive. If England, we have seen what they can do, if they

get easy ball at scrum or line-out time they will get the big men into

the game. What you see with Ireland is they will come up with a plan and

look at England's weaknesses. I think Ireland are one of the best

teams in formulating a plan and putting it into work. England will

have to go on their mettle, if they're not, Ireland in Dublin is

just, I think they raise their game 20%. One word answer who, wins? I

think it is more than one word, I think England are on a roll and they

get the world record. Well actually there are two Grand Slam deciders

taking place next weekend. England and Ireland going for the

Grand Slam. Highlights of the story so far tonight.

Our final port of call is Rome. How trick did Italy up their sleeves

against the French? A few but not enough.

Trying to set up a maul there. They have got the penalty right in front

of the posts. They continue with the advantage.

And it goes outside. Parisse over the line and we have only played two

minutes and Italy have scored their first try in the sunshine and they

have caught the French napping. Dulin feeds out to the far side.

Nice work by the French backs. Lamerat getting involved. Fickou

also in the mix. A nice dart by Lopez. What a dummy from Fickou. He

is going to go under the sticks. Beautiful from the French. That's

what they can do. When they can actually string the passes together,

have a bit of telepathy between the squad and it can be quite pretty.

That was the dummy that did it that Fickou rounded the posts to touch it

down. Will the French make their mark in the second half? Here is the

maul. We heard the referee, it's going backwards. They managed to

edge around the corner there. It is all about the French pack wanting to

exert themselves and we have a penalty advantage as well. Lopez

tries to give the dummy. It is not read though. Serin again and this

time it was too easy. Vakatawa puts down. Are the Italians tired? The

French don't care! Vakatawa walked through that defensive line like it

was an open door. You talk about tired bodies with the Italians as

pan vane takes -- Padovani takes it on. Bronzini goes over. Will they

check it? The reaction in the Stadio Olimpico is of a crowd that thinks

it went over. It doesn't look like the ball actually touched the grass.

Conor O'Shea knew it. Could we see a push over from the French? They will

fancy it. Oh, there is the warning from the referee, there will be an

opportunity as Picamoles is going for the line and the try for King

Louis. It is try No 3 for the French. It has been coming for a

while. And it comes in the end from the big No 8 who plays for

Northampton. It is the French who have it no.

Dulin going for the French. The bonus point try will be scored,s

Dulin touches it down. The French have come to Rome and got everything

they came for. Still more Italian forwards flying through. Pick and go

once again. Will the French let them have the second try? Out to

Esposito. It will make no difference to the table, but Italy do get the

try and Esposito goes down in the corner. Come pet televisionally

disappointed, but in terms of the pride the boys put in, we will keep

working. The most important for us was to win this game. Many things

not perfect, but the most important is victory and we are happy with

that. Italy had more possession and territory in that game, but on a

weekend of records, look at that statistic on the tackles made and

missed. Italy missed 55 tackles in that match. How can you win a match

at any level missing that many tackles? Answer - you can't. One

player we must talk about is the French scrum-half, he is a

tremendous player, man of the match and he has that extra something.

Yes, he looks very promising. I have been very impressed with him in the

Six Nations. A guy who controls the game very well. Tests defenders. The

Italians are tiring, but he is keeping them honest in and around

the fringes, picking and going. Italy again rushing up in defence.

But he is playing with heads up and puts the ball behind them. Run,

pass, kick, he has it all. Leaving gaps around the defenders close to

the ruck. Again lovely off-load. You can see just draws in that as a

defender, lovely around the back pass. Poor defensive from Italy. But

good vision from Serin. A little chip over and pinning Italy. He has

so many strings to his bow. He looks like he should be in a boy band too.

Talk about Italy, at half time in all their games, it is, this could

be their moment and in the second half they fall away. If you look at

the statistics, in the second half they're 120-12.

What is the cause of that? It must be fitness. They expend so much

energy to stay in the game in the first half and they have nothing

left to give. There is nothing left in the tank. We could see similar

establishments in the Guinness Pro12. Conor knows it is a massive

it is a tock -- massive task to turn it around. Also depth of squad. We

talk about finishers coming on for England, whether the quality at the

bench could be looked at. There is no way you should be missing 55

tackles. If you look at half of them, they're just, they're half

attempts and not even proper attempts. That would lead you to

think fitness is a problem. We must leave it there. Peter, about to come

a dad this week and it is your birthday Andy. Anything you want to

contribute about your domestic life? Cheltenham. Back a few winners. Good

luck if you're going. Grand Scotland decider for England next weekend.

They have been there before it it promises to be a fantastic end to

the season. Ireland seeking to deprive England of a Grand Slam. And

they're dancing all around Lansdowne Road. And he will finish with a

flourish. The dashing of England's Grand Slam

hopes. It's great that you could

come in for this, Lenny.