:00:49. > :00:57.And we're under way in the 2017 RBS Six Nations. The defence of the
:00:58. > :01:09.grand slam title begins at Twickenham. The Welsh team are
:01:10. > :01:22.packed with players who have won the Championship. Hello. February Sunday
:01:23. > :01:25.tea-time welcome Rugby special. After the kind of game we have had
:01:26. > :01:34.over the weekend that coaches really earn their money. Today in Rome,
:01:35. > :01:37.sodden run, Conor O'Shea, the new man in charge of Italy was out to
:01:38. > :01:44.prove that he could succeed where so many had failed before. Yesterday at
:01:45. > :01:50.Twickenham, the unbeatable Eddie Jones and the unfathomable Guy Noves
:01:51. > :01:56.pitted their wits against each other. At Murrayfield, the departing
:01:57. > :02:03.Vern Cotter was out to show that he has made a difference to Scotland,
:02:04. > :02:08.node and in the future. To ponder it all, we have an Englishman, a
:02:09. > :02:13.Scotsman and the Welshman. Martyn Williams, Mike Blair and Alex
:02:14. > :02:18.Corbisiero. One of the guarantees over the Six Nations recently has
:02:19. > :02:24.been that every match that takes place in Rome has been beneath
:02:25. > :02:28.beautiful blue skies. Not today. It rained a thousand Trevi Fountain is
:02:29. > :02:33.which mean that it was a greasy page that confronted England and Wales --
:02:34. > :02:35.Italy and Wales at the Olympic Stadium.
:02:36. > :02:41.It has been described as a game that Wales cannot afford to lose. Twice
:02:42. > :02:45.they have come unstuck in Rome. Conor O'Shea has pumped his side
:02:46. > :02:51.full of positivity and bully. The Italians are missing key men. They
:02:52. > :02:58.are still able to call on Warriors like Cittadini and Parisse. Keep an
:02:59. > :03:08.eye on two men, the loose-head prop, Andrea Lovotti, and Maxime Mbanda.
:03:09. > :03:12.For all the instinctive skills of Canna, he needs to make sure that he
:03:13. > :03:18.can organise and control. McLean will be he's eyes and ears. There is
:03:19. > :03:27.quality at fullback. The Welsh are missing Luke Charteris. The new
:03:28. > :03:32.skipper, Alun Wyn Jones, will be at the start of everything. Nicky Smith
:03:33. > :03:39.wins the nod at loose-head. There is familiarity in the scrum. The
:03:40. > :03:43.Scarlets paling in the centre. Williams has to play on the wing.
:03:44. > :03:51.George North has got to rediscover his try scoring prowess. The
:03:52. > :03:57.Italians can call on former skipper Dean Albini. For Wales, lots of
:03:58. > :03:59.excitement surrounding Sam Davies, offering a genuine spark late on.
:04:00. > :04:16.The referee is JP Doyle of Ireland. The bollards picked up by Parisse.
:04:17. > :04:21.Italy are beginning to run riot. Here goes Sergio Parisse. So close
:04:22. > :04:31.to the line. Wales stopping him in the nick of time. Italy bearing down
:04:32. > :04:40.on the Welsh try-line for the first time in the match. If that ball
:04:41. > :04:44.comes out, there are three or four micro men on the right-hand side
:04:45. > :04:49.clear. Not a Welsh man inside. That all came from a very bad scrum. That
:04:50. > :05:02.is a brilliant tackle by George North. It thwarts the Italians for
:05:03. > :05:09.the first time in this game. Parisse is looking to strike. It is a lovely
:05:10. > :05:18.inside ball. Steyn is there. Once again, within a couple of metres.
:05:19. > :05:30.The noise building inside Olympic Stadium. Italy reassembling.
:05:31. > :05:37.Parisse, having set up the maul, looking to work it around the
:05:38. > :05:43.fringes. Over the go. Have they got it on? JP Doyle says yes. Wales are
:05:44. > :05:52.stunned. They absorbed lots of the Welsh pressure. It was a great
:05:53. > :05:58.inside ball. Moriarty held him up. I thought he was over. The important
:05:59. > :06:02.thing is patience. We have set up the maul. The scrum-half is in
:06:03. > :06:07.there, Luke McLean is in there. They stay on their feet again. Edoardo
:06:08. > :06:14.Gori has been credited with a try. 7-0, Italy in front, not 30 minutes
:06:15. > :06:26.gone. One man is out. An Italian player is injured as well.
:06:27. > :06:32.Wales, earnest and pricing and winning the penalty. Italy failing
:06:33. > :06:37.to roll away from the tackled player. This is within range for
:06:38. > :06:43.Halfpenny, certainly. That was rather innocuous. It did not look
:06:44. > :06:48.like much. Dan Biggar is a tough man. It takes quite a bit to keep
:06:49. > :06:52.him on the ground. It might only be three points, but in the context of
:06:53. > :06:56.the match, and in the context of the Welsh challenge today, these would
:06:57. > :07:05.be very precious points for the injured Leigh Halfpenny.
:07:06. > :07:13.That was a vital score for Rob Howley's men. Italy have the only
:07:14. > :07:25.try of the game through Gori. Their leading at the break, 7-3.
:07:26. > :07:42.Tipuric. Not really a day for flashy play from Tipuric. He left that too
:07:43. > :07:48.late. Two knock-ons. Somebody earlier. Moriarty. I think the title
:07:49. > :07:54.is good but the way that he put him down was dangerous. Let's see how he
:07:55. > :07:59.put him down. He landed on his back. It is a perfectly reasonable tackle.
:08:00. > :08:04.That is a great tackle. That is an interesting call from JP Doyle. He
:08:05. > :08:08.reckons it went past the horizontal and is a penalty. To the letter of
:08:09. > :08:15.the law, he is right, but I think all the kids in school were brought
:08:16. > :08:19.up to make that tackle. It is a very clean, true straight from Halfpenny.
:08:20. > :08:24.With just about 30 minutes left, the Welsh at the front for the first
:08:25. > :08:35.time in the match. Moriarty feeds Webb. Scott Williams.
:08:36. > :08:40.The Welsh have definitely got more purpose to their activities in the
:08:41. > :08:47.second period, despite Warburton being driven back. Rhys Webb it
:08:48. > :08:51.seems using the way. You kick this again. Go for goal again. We have
:08:52. > :08:58.not looked like scoring a try, so kick it. The penalties are telling
:08:59. > :09:02.Italy at the moment. What is the point of that? I know he is trying
:09:03. > :09:15.to close the link then. 11 penalties conceded. You cannot do that. It is
:09:16. > :09:20.a very well on routine. The result is a familiar one as well. A little
:09:21. > :09:28.bit of breathing space for the Welsh. Abraham Steyn told to remove
:09:29. > :09:42.himself. He needs players either side of him now. He gets the flood
:09:43. > :09:48.away. Brilliant. Sam Davies, linking with Tipuric. Wales playing like
:09:49. > :09:55.Wales. Jonathan Davies within a couple of metres.
:09:56. > :10:03.Building all the time. Webb has made it, has the? I think he has got
:10:04. > :10:08.there. You might of taking two megabytes at the cherry. I think he
:10:09. > :10:18.has scored. JP Doyle. That is a lot better. I think it is going to be a
:10:19. > :10:23.try. He is allowed to reach out. That bollards on the ground. I think
:10:24. > :10:29.it is a try. I have got the decision. It is just short of the
:10:30. > :10:35.line. So, no try. Rhys Webb denied. I think that is a try myself. I
:10:36. > :10:41.think that is on the line. The Italians down on one knee on this
:10:42. > :10:49.loose-head side. He is down again. That is it, he is. He has gone, he
:10:50. > :10:55.has warned him. He is on his way. Onto your knees and on the outside.
:10:56. > :11:00.The Italians are going to 14. Andrea Lovotti heads to the touchline for a
:11:01. > :11:10.ten minute spell. He has dropped, and the hooker has dropped. Only
:11:11. > :11:15.Gori patrolling the short side for the Italians. Webb, liking the look
:11:16. > :11:24.of this. He goes and brings in Liam Williams. A good tackle. Just short
:11:25. > :11:28.of the line. That is a great tackle. He has got to get outside Venditti,
:11:29. > :11:35.under the post. That is where the movement is, two pasties. Sam Davies
:11:36. > :11:41.to Scott Williams. The goal wide. Jonathan Davies. In the end, it was
:11:42. > :11:48.easy. It has taken time to come, but finally the Welsh have a try. Watch
:11:49. > :11:52.number 11, Venditti. You know he is going to do it, a winger defending
:11:53. > :11:56.in the centre. I thought he had blown it by going inside, the two
:11:57. > :12:03.man overlap. For me, that is the game. He knows he is coming, as a
:12:04. > :12:06.stand-off, you can sense it. The ball should maybe have gone but he
:12:07. > :12:20.does the right call again and it is an easy finish for Jonathan Davies.
:12:21. > :12:24.Scott Williams. Webb is there. You have got to tackle. Good line speed.
:12:25. > :12:31.Really good pressure from the Italians. Webb legs to go wide.
:12:32. > :12:36.Jonathan Davies again. Here is Liam Williams. Try number two. Quick
:12:37. > :12:45.handling, pressure from the forwards initially. Making the most of the
:12:46. > :12:50.numerical advantage. Wales taking a commanding lead. They go midfield,
:12:51. > :12:57.watch. Brilliant play by Scott Williams. The two centres do
:12:58. > :12:59.exceptionally well. He holds, he checks. He commits the tackle.
:13:00. > :13:14.Off-load and the try. They cannot find the space. Leon. It
:13:15. > :13:20.was kicked for word by Venditti. It is a decent, tidy job by Sam Davies.
:13:21. > :13:26.He has just waited long enough. George North sets off, whether he is
:13:27. > :13:31.in pain or not. He has the beating of Luke McLean. North head for the
:13:32. > :13:38.post, and Wales have your third. What damage has it done? This was
:13:39. > :13:46.clever from Davies. He just held the ball for long enough. The defence
:13:47. > :13:56.are all over the place. Pain etched all over the face of George North
:13:57. > :14:00.before he got the touchdown. That was a lovely little kick through.
:14:01. > :14:09.Gareth Davies is after it. This is like England in the World Cup again.
:14:10. > :14:13.Gathered eventually by Michele Campagnaro from Italy. Maybe that is
:14:14. > :14:20.the bone is gone as far as the Welsh are concerned. Or maybe not. --
:14:21. > :14:24.maybe that is the bone is gone. Liam Williams is going to claim it. Not
:14:25. > :14:28.terribly convincingly. He is claiming it all the same. On the
:14:29. > :14:35.reaction of the players, that is not a try. We are checking the knock-on.
:14:36. > :14:43.No, he is short. He is not going to get it from there, is the? No. There
:14:44. > :14:47.will be no bonus point for Wales. People will look at that and say it
:14:48. > :14:54.is the same old Italy, competitive for 50 minutes and the other team
:14:55. > :14:58.pull away. The referee was looking at when team discipline wise. We
:14:59. > :15:01.found it difficult. We are at the outset of something and we make sure
:15:02. > :15:05.that we do not compound the mistakes. We have to refocus
:15:06. > :15:11.quickly. That is the challenge. It could have gone two ways at
:15:12. > :15:17.half-time. He was level-headed. We had lots of opportunity in the 22.
:15:18. > :15:22.We took our foot off the gas and press too much, fumbled. Credit to
:15:23. > :15:26.Italy. They stifled our possession. We had one bad scrum and it ended up
:15:27. > :15:28.under the posts. We went in with the deficit by that half we were
:15:29. > :15:38.level-headed. We were composed, Howard Rose before
:15:39. > :15:44.the game, it was 15-40 and then we scored those points. A shame about
:15:45. > :15:48.the bonus point at the end, with the application in our second half, we
:15:49. > :15:56.can be more confident and have more believe going into the England game.
:15:57. > :16:00.It winds a win -- a win is a win? Yes committee can be content, after
:16:01. > :16:05.those post-match interviews, it hit the nail on the head. A potential
:16:06. > :16:09.banana skin, when you saw the weather coming down at the start of
:16:10. > :16:13.the game, that ring comedy thought, could it be similar conditions to
:16:14. > :16:18.South Africa in the autumn? And think that this could be a banana
:16:19. > :16:22.skin, at half-time it was 7-3 down, the experience and the number of
:16:23. > :16:26.caps, the players had done it for Wales, and they got a victory.
:16:27. > :16:31.Clinical in the second half, quietly content with a victory. It wasn't a
:16:32. > :16:37.great spectacle, but what did you make of it overall? It would always
:16:38. > :16:41.take time to break down this talent, it's an emotional game, in the Six
:16:42. > :16:46.Nations, at home in Italy, you need to bide your time and break the
:16:47. > :16:49.defence down. And in contrast to what Conor O'Shea said, you beat
:16:50. > :16:55.Italy in the last half-hour of the game. Very much so, and at times,
:16:56. > :16:58.their patience with the ball, that rewarded them with the penalties,
:16:59. > :17:02.and gradually, there was more possession which broke them down, I
:17:03. > :17:05.liked when they moved the ball a bit more, going ahead into the next
:17:06. > :17:08.games when they play the ball out the backache a few times, ask more
:17:09. > :17:16.questions and with defence, they seemed more dangerous -- play out
:17:17. > :17:20.the back. Italy should have scored a second try really, leading 14-3 at
:17:21. > :17:25.half-time would have been a different psychological battle but
:17:26. > :17:29.the Welsh defence was rock-solid. In contrast to what the Italians did
:17:30. > :17:33.not have? When you say defence, people think tackles, discipline,
:17:34. > :17:39.not giving those penalties away. But this was a magnificent game for some
:17:40. > :17:43.money today. Back on his feet, winning the turnover. On half time
:17:44. > :17:50.but conversely, the Italians, every time Wales got the ball, it was easy
:17:51. > :17:53.points, silly penalties, they are under no pressure, in the second and
:17:54. > :17:59.third phases, you have to roll away. You need players like Leigh
:18:00. > :18:04.Halfpenny in the team, don't give them any chances, even when the
:18:05. > :18:08.captain is on board. OK, it is 50-50, but there is no need to give
:18:09. > :18:16.the referee that decision. But Wales, they love doing anything 12-7
:18:17. > :18:20.in front because of the Italian discipline, we are all expecting a
:18:21. > :18:27.new Italy and O'Connor reshape, but it is the same team we've seen for
:18:28. > :18:31.the last ten years -- and O'Connor O'Shea. How does a coach deal with
:18:32. > :18:37.that? If you speak to Brian Moore, he would say, I've had a masterplan,
:18:38. > :18:41.and put the players on the field, then they would go and mess it up,
:18:42. > :18:45.Conor O'Shea must have looked at elements of today and gone, what am
:18:46. > :18:50.I doing? He has not been in charge for a huge amount of time, he needs
:18:51. > :18:54.to bet that culture within the team. I've been at teams where you have
:18:55. > :19:01.serial offenders, and I will fine you 100 quid if you do this... I'm
:19:02. > :19:05.sure there have been a fair few! It will take time, as Conor O'Shea said
:19:06. > :19:10.in his interview, he is aware of issues with discipline, he will be
:19:11. > :19:14.keeping on top of that. Alex alluded to the fact that Wales got better as
:19:15. > :19:17.the match went on, they played more expansive elements into the game,
:19:18. > :19:22.Dan Biggar will be assessed on Monday in terms of his injury and
:19:23. > :19:25.George North, more of that in a moment, but when Jamie Roberts isn't
:19:26. > :19:30.selected as a starting centre and Dan Biggar I is not playing, do
:19:31. > :19:33.Wales had to play differently? Yes, Sam Davies is a very different
:19:34. > :19:39.player. Particularly in Wales, people have been asking for this. A
:19:40. > :19:43.lot of criticism of Wales, they've not been involved in eight or nine
:19:44. > :19:48.years under Warren Gatland. He's Welsh forward to going around the
:19:49. > :19:52.corner, Sam Davies looks forward and seize on the blindside that there
:19:53. > :20:03.was a prop, the end man. -- he can see. Effectively, you have two
:20:04. > :20:08.centres on a loosehead prop, and a 2-3 man overlap. They are not
:20:09. > :20:11.programmed, they are willing to go outside of the box and play what is
:20:12. > :20:15.in front of them, that has been missing from the Welsh game for so
:20:16. > :20:21.long. Scott Williams did brilliantly in holding up the defence. We saw
:20:22. > :20:26.with the lead up to Davies's tried, he can make that pass away. He can
:20:27. > :20:30.lead the Welsh attack. Jonathan Davies was saying that this tackle
:20:31. > :20:36.that we will show, he said, this is how children are taught to tackle at
:20:37. > :20:40.school. It is wonderful, what do you think? I think that five or six
:20:41. > :20:46.years ago, this was an amazing tackle. When I played with Matheus
:20:47. > :20:53., that was his trick. The amount of emphasis that they put on safety,
:20:54. > :20:57.these are not acceptable, lifting players into the air like that, it
:20:58. > :21:01.impacts the game. It is difficult to lie out of that first thing. He
:21:02. > :21:10.makes great contact, that momentum going forward. A final point, if Dan
:21:11. > :21:15.Biggar are is fit, who starts at ten for Wales next weekend? He won't be,
:21:16. > :21:20.if he has hurt his ribs but based on today, you would throw Sam Davies
:21:21. > :21:25.soon. Next weekend, it is Wales against England at Cardiff. As we
:21:26. > :21:29.reflect on yesterday's matches... England played France, and Eddie
:21:30. > :21:36.Jones described their performance as ugly, but ultimately? Beautiful.
:21:37. > :21:46.COMMENTATOR: Lopez, directly behind the scrum, spinning directly behind.
:21:47. > :22:05.Lopez, getting it away from George Ford. A quick blast of the whistle.
:22:06. > :22:09.It's not exactly a tipping tackle. Jonny May shakes his head, here he
:22:10. > :22:19.comes... He takes him beyond the horizontal. It is going to be a
:22:20. > :22:23.yellow card, Brian? You lifted him horizontal, so... There is an
:22:24. > :22:26.element of regrets in Angus Gardner's voice, but it is ten
:22:27. > :22:36.minutes in the sin-bin for Jonny May. It stripped then... France, two
:22:37. > :22:43.penalties by Cammy Lopez, leading 6-3. The magnitude of that
:22:44. > :23:04.challenge, they are well aware of it against France. Louis Picamoles gets
:23:05. > :23:14.the pass away to Gourdon. Vakatawa. England's defence is solid.
:23:15. > :23:20.Picamoles, away... There is the strength of Louis Picamoles. The
:23:21. > :23:28.high tackle by England again. Dan Cole, about helping midfield. The
:23:29. > :23:31.advantage is played, it is another penalty for France. Tom Wood would
:23:32. > :23:42.have to be careful... Playing on after the whistle. Well, with the
:23:43. > :23:47.current interpretation yes, it was not dangerous, but this is real
:23:48. > :23:54.discipline that they cannot afford against a team like France. Lopez,
:23:55. > :24:04.to extend the French lead... He has. 9-3, France leading at Twickenham.
:24:05. > :24:27.It's a penalty advantage against France. It is a free play for
:24:28. > :24:34.England, taken up by Courtney Lawes, but Uini Atonio is in his way. Back
:24:35. > :24:38.to the original penalty. On the ground here, the man does not get
:24:39. > :24:49.out of the way of the ball. It has to be played. England's six - nine
:24:50. > :25:06.France. Owen Farrell's second penalty. Crouch, bind, set! Going
:25:07. > :25:14.for a big drive... Penalty, pushing forward. Pushing before the ball is
:25:15. > :25:22.in, guys. You can see, never really steady. Up stepped Elliot Daly, with
:25:23. > :25:31.a long shot at goal. 60 yards, he has got the range here. It looks
:25:32. > :25:37.good. It is good! We are all square. England 9-9 France.
:25:38. > :26:02.Maro Itoje. Having a go. Leave it... George Ford, dummying the cake.
:26:03. > :26:07.Brilliantly done by Owen Farrell -- kick. It will go to review, Elliot
:26:08. > :26:13.Daly thinks that he has scored. If he has, it was good awareness.
:26:14. > :26:20.Bringing the ball back against the grain, getting the opportunity on
:26:21. > :26:34.the blindside. Yes, he is now. Just! A great tackle. Dylan Hartley finds
:26:35. > :26:43.Tom Wood. There is a chance now... Brown with a good off-load. Over to
:26:44. > :27:00.Owen Farrell. George Ford, outside of here. Nathan Hughes... Penalty!
:27:01. > :27:05.It's a yellow card here... Playing the ball from the side, England with
:27:06. > :27:09.Nathan Hughes, but he cannot make it. It's a penalty advantage, still
:27:10. > :27:19.being played. A new advantage. Tom Wood... Going to pot a bit, but
:27:20. > :27:22.England have two penalty advantages. Pick either. What England's need to
:27:23. > :27:29.take from this is that when they keep the ball in hand, they are more
:27:30. > :27:33.of a threat. England in the lead for the first time. Four penalties,
:27:34. > :28:01.three by Owen Farrell. Leading 12-9. Picamoles, with a pass out of the
:28:02. > :28:18.tackle. Gael Fickou... The prop, Xavier Chiocci. Lopez. Fickou tries
:28:19. > :28:23.to go against the run of play. Another high tackle. It comes under
:28:24. > :28:26.the high tackle penalty. It could be better for France, a deliberate
:28:27. > :28:31.knock-on by Courtney Lawes? Scott Spedding has not seen much of this
:28:32. > :28:44.ball in the second half. A couple of advantages have been played France's
:28:45. > :28:56.way. It's a try... A try! The first of the game. With the balance...
:28:57. > :29:07.They deserve to be in front. Jack Nowell, four metres to go. Back to
:29:08. > :29:25.five. James Haskell, another offside advantage against Gael Fickou.
:29:26. > :29:30.Nathan Hughes. Care... Ben Te'o! England are rewarded for staying
:29:31. > :29:35.patient. That was a reward for one of the passages of play that they
:29:36. > :29:38.have had. This has been a disjointed performance by England, but the
:29:39. > :29:46.Grand Slam champions of last year are up and running! They have beaten
:29:47. > :29:51.France by 19-16. It was ugly today, wasn't it? That is what Test match
:29:52. > :29:55.rugby is about. Getting your nose over the line, sometimes you are
:29:56. > :30:00.going to win ugly. We did today. It's a great testament to the 23
:30:01. > :30:04.that our finishes came on in the second half, and gave us what we
:30:05. > :30:07.needed. At half-time, Eddie said it was the worst that we have played
:30:08. > :30:11.and I thought if I got the opportunity to get on, I wanted to
:30:12. > :30:15.get the ball and carry. I thought that if I could offer anything, it
:30:16. > :30:20.was getting some go forward, that's why I try to get the ball as much as
:30:21. > :30:28.I could. They are a good side. A fantastic set piece. A big physical
:30:29. > :30:32.Ford back, Picamoles doing what he wanted on the field today, it is a
:30:33. > :30:36.blur at the moment but there is so much more to work on and get better
:30:37. > :30:40.at. Three games in a row that we could have won against Australia and
:30:41. > :30:45.New Zealand, we had England, we had the game in our hands and let it
:30:46. > :30:49.slip at the end. We seriously got it today, but fair play to England, we
:30:50. > :30:52.knew what we were up against and they continue that winning streak
:30:53. > :30:57.and deserve it. Any time beating France is a great win, they are one
:30:58. > :31:02.of the greatest rugby countries in the world. They have improved. Look
:31:03. > :31:05.at their size, they are a massive team. Getting over the top of them
:31:06. > :31:10.in the end is a great achievement and we are on the road to Wales next
:31:11. > :31:11.week, we look forward to Cardiff and going and causing some problems
:31:12. > :31:19.there! Eddie Jones said that at no point
:31:20. > :31:23.during the game did you think that England would not win. Did you share
:31:24. > :31:26.that opinion? I was worried at times. There were some areas of the
:31:27. > :31:30.game when it was in the balance. England managed to steer the ship
:31:31. > :31:35.and take control of the game. In terms of the way that England
:31:36. > :31:39.played, they were so lacklustre. Making basic mistakes early but it
:31:40. > :31:44.came right in the end. Talk us through some of the areas where
:31:45. > :31:49.England went wrong. I felt there were inaccuracies in the game. It
:31:50. > :31:54.was uncharacteristic. They were not holding onto the ball for phases.
:31:55. > :31:59.They were not turning it over. Their set piece was not accurate. They did
:32:00. > :32:03.not turn up for large parts of the game. Credit to France, they turned
:32:04. > :32:09.up. You have got to give them credit. The one person who turned up
:32:10. > :32:14.more than anybody was Picamoles. He was extraordinary. The influence he
:32:15. > :32:26.had on the match was immense. He was outstanding. He has been
:32:27. > :32:29.around a long time, Picamoles. Being at Northampton has helped his
:32:30. > :32:32.fitness. He was like Billy Vunipola yesterday. This is what he was doing
:32:33. > :32:35.last year for England. That off-load does not look like much but it gives
:32:36. > :32:40.you 510 metres extra. They could not bring him down, his energy, his
:32:41. > :32:45.talk. It was men against boys at stages. One of the all-time great
:32:46. > :32:50.performances from a Frenchman. Why is the more fit at Northampton and
:32:51. > :32:54.he was? They will put a massive emphasis on workrate, involvement.
:32:55. > :33:01.They will rely on him as a talisman for the game. The strength and
:33:02. > :33:06.conditioning impact is huge. What he seems to be so good at doing is he
:33:07. > :33:10.knows where the defenders are. He is able to bomb one guy, transfer the
:33:11. > :33:15.ball, hand of the next. He has the vision to be able to see that. Let's
:33:16. > :33:20.focus on England. Let's concentrate on what went wrong in the first
:33:21. > :33:24.half. Mike, you have picked out a few things. It seems to me that once
:33:25. > :33:29.he comes into the Finnish son, that is where the mistakes come. It is a
:33:30. > :33:37.great set piece play, Tom Wood coming in off his feet. It was a
:33:38. > :33:40.silly mistake. It was a recurring theme. Tom Wood misses the clean
:33:41. > :33:44.straight off. They were in the red areas. They were struggling for
:33:45. > :33:48.gain-line. They were looking to get some of the big carriers in the game
:33:49. > :33:53.on the ball. They knocked the ball on. The light France off the hook.
:33:54. > :34:00.England need to hold onto the ball and work in the French team. England
:34:01. > :34:04.had to take the opportunities. They were not clinical. The
:34:05. > :34:06.disappointment was the line-out. A bit laughable. They are an
:34:07. > :34:10.international side and they need that platform to launch their
:34:11. > :34:15.attack. We will talk about Linux in the Scotland game. How does that
:34:16. > :34:21.complete lack of communication have been? From the outside in, the loss
:34:22. > :34:25.of George Kruis was a big loss. The primary line-out collar. People
:34:26. > :34:28.seemed like they were on different pages, not sure of the call. Dylan
:34:29. > :34:33.Hartley was under pressure to put the ball in and eventually he put it
:34:34. > :34:38.in. In. In the last quarter, replacements came on, Danny Care,
:34:39. > :34:43.James Haskell. There was an increase in Temple. Did that make the
:34:44. > :34:49.difference? Yes, England getting a little bit of run football. Danny
:34:50. > :34:52.Care was in there. When the ball was available, he moved it away. James
:34:53. > :34:57.Haskell cumin and made gain-line. He created quick ball. The ball is
:34:58. > :35:03.available to play and Danny Care gets it away. The quicker you can
:35:04. > :35:08.get, the easier it is to score. Play at pace and the tries will come. One
:35:09. > :35:11.of the great debates that will run through the summer towards the
:35:12. > :35:18.Lions, the first time we have mentioned them and we have been
:35:19. > :35:24.going for 45 minutes, Ford and Farrell at outside half. Who plays
:35:25. > :35:28.and who gets left out? In the papers today, lots of columns, should
:35:29. > :35:32.Farrell be starting? What do you think? It is hard to compare the
:35:33. > :35:36.last 20 to the rest of the game. When Owen Farrell had his run at the
:35:37. > :35:42.game, England were getting gain-line. George Ford is one of the
:35:43. > :35:48.best number tens in the world. His decision-making, the way he pulls
:35:49. > :35:52.the strings, it is phenomenal. It is hard to compare performances. Both
:35:53. > :35:55.were competitive. It will be interesting to see which way Eddie
:35:56. > :36:01.goes as the tournament develops. Can you see a change in the England
:36:02. > :36:06.midfield axis for next weekend? I do not think so. Wales always struggle
:36:07. > :36:10.when sides play rugby against them. George Ford and Owen Farrell cause
:36:11. > :36:14.them all sorts of problems last year. I think Alex hit the nail on
:36:15. > :36:24.the head, it is easier when you have go forward ball. I expect pretty
:36:25. > :36:32.much the same. Lots of talk about the performance of Dylan Hartley. He
:36:33. > :36:35.has not played much. Some conjecture going forward, Owen Farrell maybe
:36:36. > :36:40.the England captain. What did you think about the performance of
:36:41. > :36:44.Hartley yesterday? He has not played in a long time. No matter how much
:36:45. > :36:49.fitness work are simulation of game you do, when you start playing, it
:36:50. > :36:54.will be different. He was put under pressure, made to make decisions. It
:36:55. > :37:00.was a tough 50 minutes for him. He has to tread on eggshells more than
:37:01. > :37:03.any other player at the moment. Yes, he's England captain. He has a
:37:04. > :37:09.history, I am not going to see dirty play, but he has been banned in the
:37:10. > :37:18.past. We can see this example. He is coming in to make a counter ruck.
:37:19. > :37:23.Baptista is around there. He is targeting the head and shoulders. I
:37:24. > :37:30.have seen issues where there are lengthy bans. With his history, he
:37:31. > :37:35.has got to watch out. That is born out of frustration. He was a little
:37:36. > :37:40.bit off the pace. He was thinking, I can counter ruck. Talking about
:37:41. > :37:43.keeping tackles down, that is just as dangerous as a high tackle.
:37:44. > :37:49.You're in a vulnerable position, with your body at that angle. He has
:37:50. > :37:53.got the kid squeaky clean. It has been tough for him with his history.
:37:54. > :37:59.It follows him. He is under more of a microscope than other players. He
:38:00. > :38:03.has to be careful, especially with the directives regarding contact to
:38:04. > :38:10.the head. He has to be on top of that. He is a team-mate of yours
:38:11. > :38:13.from days gone by. A leader of men? He is a leader, fierce competitor.
:38:14. > :38:18.With all the questions of who should captain, look at his record. He has
:38:19. > :38:23.not lost or let England down. He leads from the front and brings that
:38:24. > :38:25.edge. For me, he is their captain. He is the man.
:38:26. > :38:31.Plenty more sport to come here on the BBC.
:38:32. > :38:36.There is a Manchester leaning Match Of The Day tonight. That will
:38:37. > :38:39.feature Leicester and Swansea City. There are highlights
:38:40. > :38:41.of Great Britain against Canada in the Davis Cup from 11:15pm
:38:42. > :38:43.on BBC Two. And tomorrow night, there's
:38:44. > :38:45.a Six Nations review On the website, you can
:38:46. > :39:09.watch the highlights The revolution will be televised.
:39:10. > :39:18.You can watch in HD. You can talk like a weekend warrior, from the
:39:19. > :39:25.safety of your city. -- of your settee. The revolution will be
:39:26. > :39:33.televised. If we all just talk from the safety of her sofa... Mike will
:39:34. > :39:37.enjoy the next ten minutes or so. We have saved the best till last in
:39:38. > :39:44.terms of entertainment. Scotland against Ireland at Murrayfield.
:39:45. > :39:50.Defence and defiance seeing Scotland home in the end.
:39:51. > :39:59.Scotland up to within seven metres of the line. It is onto Ross Ford.
:40:00. > :40:05.They are moving forward with a vengeance now. Richie Gray. The
:40:06. > :40:09.noise grows inside Murrayfield. Hamish Watson is still going. Within
:40:10. > :40:19.two metres of the line. Scotland bearing down on the try-line. That
:40:20. > :40:23.was carried forward by Strauss. It slows for a moment. Laidlaw things.
:40:24. > :40:29.Picked up by the forwards and driven. The Irish defence is sorely
:40:30. > :40:38.tested. Richie Gray is there again. Just short. Arched on by the
:40:39. > :40:46.Murrayfield faithful. Laidlaw is dating. Russell floats it out. It is
:40:47. > :40:55.a score. Scotland have scored the team try at Murrayfield, to bring
:40:56. > :41:01.the crowd to live. I good little pass by Finn Russell. It bounces
:41:02. > :41:07.well for Stuart Hogg and a great driver Scotland. Joe Schmidt and
:41:08. > :41:16.Simon Easterby and therefore Ireland. That has gone right for
:41:17. > :41:23.Scotland. A quarter of the match is gone. Still just the one score from
:41:24. > :41:31.Scotland. Here they come again. Maitland is outside. Two for Stuart
:41:32. > :41:36.Hogg. Two chances, two scores, two tries from Scotland. They are
:41:37. > :41:42.leading by 12 points. Murrayfield is alive. It is a nice flat pass,
:41:43. > :41:45.drawing the man. They knew he was going to take the final man. Stuart
:41:46. > :41:57.Hogg was there. What the players years. Battering away. McGrath
:41:58. > :42:06.again. Still, the Scottish defence are working, and working so hard.
:42:07. > :42:14.Heaslip through. Bodies getting weary. A penalty advantage to
:42:15. > :42:22.Ireland. Conor Murray digs deep. Closing in on 20 paces. It goes
:42:23. > :42:27.wide. Into the corner. Ireland strike back. He thinks he has
:42:28. > :42:38.scored. The crowd in the corner think he has scored. We will just
:42:39. > :42:46.check. Just check, try, yes or no? Yes, that is a try. It is a great
:42:47. > :42:49.try. You can award the try, yes. The TMO says that he can award the
:42:50. > :43:00.drive. The referee blows his whistle. -- the try.
:43:01. > :43:09.Russell, a little chip. Zebo is able to watch it and he slides out with
:43:10. > :43:14.it. Great play from the chip. Ireland's turned to defend a five
:43:15. > :43:17.metre Drive. It is a nervous, difficult place to defend. Both
:43:18. > :43:24.sides have been uncertain in the line-out. It is a sneaky one, and
:43:25. > :43:30.straight through for the try. Alex Dunbar, straight through the middle.
:43:31. > :43:31.Catching Ireland unaware. He just go straight over the head of Greig
:43:32. > :43:47.Laidlaw. It is a great little play. It is pretty much the moves to the
:43:48. > :43:51.22 and three tries. That is a wonderful kick by Laidlaw. From his
:43:52. > :44:01.right foot. What an unbelievable 45 minutes. Ireland looking for the
:44:02. > :44:12.ideal start with O'Brien. CJ Stander. Henshaw spins and shapes of
:44:13. > :44:20.Huw Jones. It is picked up by the captain, Best. Rory Best within two
:44:21. > :44:25.metres. Murray is looking for it. Stander is there. Murray quickly for
:44:26. > :44:33.the line. He cannot quite make it. The ball is held up. It is a try,
:44:34. > :44:39.Henderson dives and scores. Good position, you're not going to stop
:44:40. > :44:41.anyone with that weight. There is a massive weight. There is no way
:44:42. > :44:55.you're going to get below Iain Henderson to stop that. The Scottish
:44:56. > :45:02.tackles are flying in. It is a transfer Kearney. Maitland is the
:45:03. > :45:06.saviour. I thought he was going to score but it had to be the tackle
:45:07. > :45:13.from Maitland. He got his man into touch. It was a great tackle from
:45:14. > :45:21.Duncan Weir. Is the foot in? Yes, there. Only just.
:45:22. > :45:29.13 phases, Ireland creeping on again. O'Brien...
:45:30. > :45:38.Up to within ten metres. Jackson is through! Jackson stretches and
:45:39. > :45:43.scores! Ireland have the try. And the conversion will give them the
:45:44. > :45:57.lead. An excellent line-out, a good finish. He did well to finish it.
:45:58. > :46:02.Tense times for both sides... John Barclay takes it in. It is a penalty
:46:03. > :46:11.for Scotland. Eight minutes to go. A reasonably straightforward kick from
:46:12. > :46:20.Laidlaw. Murrayfield falls silent for Greig Laidlaw, three from three
:46:21. > :46:24.so far. It goes through, seven minutes. A little bit more remaining
:46:25. > :46:35.at Murrayfield. Scotland are leading once again. For Scotland, it is all
:46:36. > :46:50.about safe, sensible and clinical staff. -- stuff. It's a long time to
:46:51. > :46:55.try and close this game. A carried by Swinson making good ground... The
:46:56. > :47:03.ball is still there for Scotland, and it is a penalty. Ireland's
:47:04. > :47:13.chances slipping away. Just over one minute gone, it might be done for
:47:14. > :47:19.the visitors... It's good from Greig Laidlaw! It is great from Scotland,
:47:20. > :47:28.because they have won, beating Ireland. That is the first time
:47:29. > :47:37.since 2061 your opening match in the Six Nations, what does that mean to
:47:38. > :47:40.you and your team? To get that win, everybody is singing the national
:47:41. > :47:47.anthem... That is what it is about. I knew that we had not won for ten
:47:48. > :47:50.years, we are both minded, we have done it today. We were close to
:47:51. > :47:54.getting away but when you don't get away from a team playing at home,
:47:55. > :47:58.and have so much to play for, you know, you are always at risk of them
:47:59. > :48:02.coming back and getting something in the end. We dominated in the first
:48:03. > :48:06.half, I thought that they dominated in the second half, it shows that
:48:07. > :48:13.there was composure on the end, and we managed to get what we wanted.
:48:14. > :48:16.It's been a while since we have had a win in the first match of the Six
:48:17. > :48:20.Nations, it is positive going forward.
:48:21. > :48:22.Here's confirmation then of how the RBS Six Nations
:48:23. > :48:29.This table features bonus points, how important it is for them to get
:48:30. > :48:33.another one. And how important will Ireland's
:48:34. > :48:38.losing bonus point B? I think that we should say before everything
:48:39. > :48:42.else, beautiful weather and an amazing atmosphere, what a way to
:48:43. > :48:48.kick-off the championship? So often in the past, you seem those games
:48:49. > :48:51.which are all about safety, we don't want to lose it, but it was
:48:52. > :48:59.fantastic. Those teams went to win the game, the final two games
:49:00. > :49:04.haven't lived up to it, but it is a sign of things to come. In the last
:49:05. > :49:08.17 years, by and large, the team that concedes the fewest number of
:49:09. > :49:12.tries wins the championship, defence is the key. There were interesting
:49:13. > :49:17.changes and approaches to defence that the two sides had yesterday?
:49:18. > :49:20.Yes, Ireland in particular, you look at their victory against the All
:49:21. > :49:25.Blacks in Chicago, they had a hard defence which came up through the
:49:26. > :49:30.outside, not allowing them back through the ball. But, Scotland, on
:49:31. > :49:33.their side, they came back hard in the middle. Putting a lot of
:49:34. > :49:38.pressure on the Irish game around the corner. Looking back at Ireland,
:49:39. > :49:42.they have good numbers, it's all a bit tight, maybe. Look at the
:49:43. > :49:45.problems they cause in the second phase, they are passive in the first
:49:46. > :49:52.but look at this coming around... Scotland can create a quicker ball,
:49:53. > :49:59.so they have the edge. Ireland change things in the second half,
:50:00. > :50:05.coming up hard on the line, stopping organ and Maitland, but I was
:50:06. > :50:08.surprised at how passive they were. The Scottish back row yesterday,
:50:09. > :50:14.early on, they stopped the Irish with those big carries, like
:50:15. > :50:20.O'Brien, they stopped them... There is an example of the Irish passive
:50:21. > :50:23.defence. The run made by Tommy Seymour, holding Paddy Jackson a
:50:24. > :50:28.bit. It puts a lot of pressure on Keith Earls and Kearney out the
:50:29. > :50:32.back, but they could not fix it. In the second half, Keith Earls came up
:50:33. > :50:36.hard, and did not allow the next pass to go in. Before the game began
:50:37. > :50:40.yesterday, we talked about Conor Murray and said if there is anyone
:50:41. > :50:43.who is a certainty to be in the starting line-up in the 23 man squad
:50:44. > :50:48.for the first match, it's him. What did you make of his performance
:50:49. > :50:54.yesterday? Scotland clearly targeted him? He is a fantastic player and
:50:55. > :50:57.has been for two or three seasons with Ireland, he manages the whole
:50:58. > :51:00.game and without Johnny Sexton, he takes the rain out even more. But
:51:01. > :51:04.Scotland targeted him, the same with Glasgow when they played Munster in
:51:05. > :51:10.the European cup if you weeks back but he is a key player and they are
:51:11. > :51:17.always to be targeted -- a a few weeks back. Scotland did well to put
:51:18. > :51:21.him off his game. They did not have a front for with Conor Murray.
:51:22. > :51:26.Russell put pressure on him. The energy in the first half from the
:51:27. > :51:30.squad was outstanding. At the weekend, it is fair to say, it is
:51:31. > :51:34.not a comedy moment but it won moment for Scotland, a lot of people
:51:35. > :51:39.watched it yesterday and thought, what is going on here? This is the
:51:40. > :51:43.Scottish third strike, there is a winger and a centre, 11 and 12, at
:51:44. > :51:49.two and three in the line-up for Scotland. Let's hold it here for a
:51:50. > :51:53.moment... What is going on? From a Scottish perspective, and what is
:51:54. > :52:01.not going on here from an Irish perspective? Scotland and loading
:52:02. > :52:05.the line with backs as well, ten mammals, 11 mammals, getting as many
:52:06. > :52:11.as possible to push them over the line -- man Moores. They are looking
:52:12. > :52:17.to mark the forward part is where the ball will go. They are marking
:52:18. > :52:20.the line-out thinking that they are not there, Rory Best's job at the
:52:21. > :52:28.front is to stop the past to Laidlaw. But they did not expect it
:52:29. > :52:37.over the top to Dunbar. They get the space and catch of God. The Scottish
:52:38. > :52:42.management team and coaching team -- a catch off guard. They practised so
:52:43. > :52:46.many of them in training. It's a full credit to Scotland. Having the
:52:47. > :52:50.courage to get it five metres out. If it goes wrong it looks
:52:51. > :52:57.embarrassing but it is great play. As scrum-half, should Conor Murray
:52:58. > :53:00.not be screaming, guys, look! Because Rory Best is covering it,
:53:01. > :53:09.and the backs, you'd think, how can the ball get there, just out of
:53:10. > :53:13.reach. Furlong will lift on Henderson, it is looking so simple,
:53:14. > :53:17.but people would say, that is a schoolboy error from Ireland, but
:53:18. > :53:20.thumbs up to the Scottish attack. It is likely that that space would be
:53:21. > :53:25.the first checkout, the first option where if it is on, they will go
:53:26. > :53:29.quick, not give Ireland's time to see that formation, if not, they
:53:30. > :53:33.will have a move with something clever their sleeves, they took the
:53:34. > :53:37.first option and it paid off. I'm sure that O'Connell, someone who has
:53:38. > :53:41.put so much time in studying, with four different plans to prevent
:53:42. > :53:46.it... He would have been seething over dinner! How did that happen?
:53:47. > :53:50.Scotland will never score the try again! A final point, without over
:53:51. > :53:55.egging the cake, but people who watch and play at any level, at what
:53:56. > :54:00.stage, when the line-out was just about to take place, at what point
:54:01. > :54:06.did both protagonists say, let's do it? I contact, that is the original
:54:07. > :54:12.call to going and if they don't mark you, Alex Dunbar, give Ross cannot,
:54:13. > :54:17.and you say, you practised them time and again in training, and it is
:54:18. > :54:21.never called. But yesterday, fair play for them in having the courage
:54:22. > :54:26.to do it. John Barclay, a key moment in the game? Yes, Scotland were
:54:27. > :54:30.smarter, you think Ireland, and you think, very smart. But Ireland have
:54:31. > :54:38.all of the momentum, they just got ahead. Two scores in front, and it
:54:39. > :54:41.is not a great call from them. John Barclay, intelligent and
:54:42. > :54:46.experienced, he reads it down to ET. Once the line-out is over committee
:54:47. > :54:52.stripped the ball which kills momentum for Ireland. I have to
:54:53. > :54:57.mention John Barclay and Hamish Watson, they played a half each and
:54:58. > :55:03.they were both stunning yesterday. How good a player is Stuart Hogg? He
:55:04. > :55:07.went all right! He played the season for the whole of the Six Nations
:55:08. > :55:11.last year, and he picked up where he left off. He adds so much to the
:55:12. > :55:20.Scottish game, and without him, Scotland miss a lot. He easily could
:55:21. > :55:25.have coming to gather up the ball but he beats the defender. He beats
:55:26. > :55:29.them without the ball. You can see his pace. Keith owls is one of the
:55:30. > :55:38.quickest players in Europe and he could not get near. -- Keith Earls.
:55:39. > :55:43.Ronan O'Gara said some lovely things about Scotland recently! He talked
:55:44. > :55:51.about the spiral kick going out of fashion but Stuart Hogg showed him
:55:52. > :55:54.how to do it there. Undoubtably, player of the weekend,
:55:55. > :55:59.fair to say. He is in a blind alley and gets himself out of it. A
:56:00. > :56:00.fantastic game. Let's go to next weekend, the three fixtures coming
:56:01. > :56:11.your way... Let's do them in reverse order.
:56:12. > :56:15.France play Scotland, buoyed by yesterday, and France are much
:56:16. > :56:19.improved, we ought to say, at Twickenham, as an impartial
:56:20. > :56:26.observer, how do you see that game going? I think that Scotland's need
:56:27. > :56:33.to play with Tempe and play quake. I think that they need their game and
:56:34. > :56:39.-- Scotland need to play quick. Get their big pack in. With the
:56:40. > :56:47.commands, get those guys in and launch the attack with their
:56:48. > :56:49.off-loads. If they can cope with physicality, Scotland and the French
:56:50. > :56:53.pack, they could cause them problems. France looked good in
:56:54. > :56:57.Paris yesterday, but they lost in Twickenham but will be confident
:56:58. > :57:01.next week. The make-up of Scotland, they have momentum behind them now
:57:02. > :57:04.with a win, you have guys like Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg who, when
:57:05. > :57:09.they are confident, they better and better. I'm aware of the French
:57:10. > :57:13.team, looking at them on paper, they've got a couple of industrious
:57:14. > :57:21.players who have something extra about them. They work hard for their
:57:22. > :57:26.team, and where they have got that edge, and with their flag, it makes
:57:27. > :57:31.them dangerous. Ireland will be stung from yesterday, and you expect
:57:32. > :57:38.that Italy could be stung as the result? Yes, you would expect with
:57:39. > :57:42.the quality team that they are. Mike, I know what you are going to
:57:43. > :57:46.say... You have the verdict. Cardiff on Saturday evening, what do you
:57:47. > :57:51.think? It is going to be a big event. These Wales and England games
:57:52. > :57:56.always have a lot of emotion. I am swayed towards England at the
:57:57. > :58:06.moment. I think the last 20 minutes, half an hour, from Wales today would
:58:07. > :58:09.have offered them Think Different on defence, -- made them Think
:58:10. > :58:15.Different lay on defence. Alex is nodding! It's a good first weekend,
:58:16. > :58:19.and next weekend, we see you in Cardiff.
:58:20. > :58:23.No Falcons, a lot of Dragons, no Lady Gaga, but there will be a lot
:58:24. > :58:34.of patriots! See you in Cardiff... Goodbye!
:58:35. > :58:54.DANCE MUSIC What a start for Wales!
:58:55. > :59:00.A follow-through, the referee checks it...