Episode 2 Women's Six Nations Rugby

Welcome to week two of the women's Six Nations championship. England

arrive in Cardiff after producing the biggest comeback in the history

of the championship, to meet a Welsh side you have only beaten them twice

on 33 occasions. Something is changing hair. Wales Wales may not

be packed full of professionals like England, Rowland Phillips' side

certainly mean business. -- changing here.

Match day in Cardiff is always a huge occasion. When that matches

against England, the reigning world champions, it is even bigger. The

atmosphere in the city has been electric. Also in action this

weekend Ireland after a thrilling last cup win in Scotland, they

travel to Italy. France host a Scottish team chasing that elusive

victory. A win would be there for Six Nations victory since 2010.

Behind me is the tunnel where rugby legends like Gareth Edwards,

Jonathan Davies and Sam Warburton have walked out under today it is

the town of players like Sarah Hunter. As the Dragons take on the

red roses. The teams emerge. For this second round of the Six

Nations. Both teams notching up four points on the opening weekend. Wales

showing one change from the win at Italy.

Hughes out injured, Harris comes in. Butchers comes into the second row.

England unchanged from the win against France. Tamara Taylor

winning her 100th cap. Even she is not the most experienced in the

England side. Rocky Clark, 119th cap today. Five of the backline played

in Rio for the Olympics. Waterman has Wilson-Hardy outside her. Going

for the corner. Wilson-Hardy in, stretches. Scored the first try. Amy

Wilson-Hardy given room on the outside. McLean. Bounces well for

Lydia Thompson. Deep into the Wales 22. Cover tackle from Rachael Taylor

was needed. Spaces on the outside of this defence. Advantage over, call

the referee. Could be something on the wrinkling, still. Cokayne

bursting through to score. All England so far. Eight minutes gone.

You have to say, they look organised, ominous, they have power

and pace, combining as well at the moment. Scarratt finding the target.

England leading inside ten minutes. Mells in the action. They are

queueing up to score. It is the scrum-half Natasha Hunt going over

for England's third try after just 11 minutes. 17-0, the visitors

leave, Wales don't know what has hit them. Scarratt floating the pass

wide to Lydia Thompson. Thomson to the outside. It is too easy, all too

easy for England. They have the bonus point try after just 22

minutes at Cardiff Arms Park. That is the angled kick, she has nailed

that one as well. No terrors for Emily Scarratt with the wide kicks.

England leading 26-0, scoring a better down a point a minute. It is

relentless for the visitors. Waterman looking to feed Thomson. It

is a fifth try, Kate MacLean loops round the outside. England even

scoring. England are toying with the Welsh team. Committing too many

tacklers. One-on-one at the end. The wrong angle, cutting inside, you

have to force them into touch. They are too smart, they know where to go

where the mismatches. Executing Simon Middleton's planned to

perfection. England looking to drive their way over. They are up to the

line for try number six. Have they got it down? Yes, they have. England

extend the lead to 36-0. Sarah Hunter comes up with the ball. The

captain. Scarratt finding a Markham once

more. Four out of six for her, kicking well. They have run in six

tries, adding four conversions. The half-time score, Wales 0- 38

England. England starting the second half as

impressively as the first. Two scrum half passes from Rocky Clark. Katy

McLean, Harriet meal is coming clean down the middle. Thought she was

cleared. Managing to get some contact. The chance is on on the

outside. If they can float the pass out to Lydia Thompson, he goes to

the corner. Second the Thomson, seven Farringdon. -- seven for

England. Not much length on the kit. Waterman runs back into the Wales

22. England getting the bonus point inside 22 minutes. England looking

to get it wide again. Possible hat-trick for Lydia Thompson on the

wide outside. What a try scoring rate she has in the England shirt.

22 in her 29th appearance. Cokayne joining in the fun. Danielle

Waterman standing up Karen Lake. Over goes Danielle Waterman in the

corner. Well deserved try from the full-back.

McLean and Hunt combining again. Waterman using her strength. Repulse

30 metres out. The try for Waterman in the corner. England topping 50

points, it is a rout at the Arms Park. Amy Wilson-Hardy made hard

work of it. Lovely, slick passing. If she goes for the corner, she is

in. Decides to go on the inside. Look makes the last pass, Katy

McLean, she has been everywhere. Experienced, mature, cool, calm and

collected. Robbing the salt into the wound. Katy McLean, she has Amy

Wilson-Hardy, a run in for the second try. England keep on scoring.

We have hit the hour mark. Hunter was brought down a couple of yards

out. Can England get it wide yet again? Out to Lydia Thompson, that

will be the hat-trick. 67 minutes gone. England remorselessly

exploiting Wales on the outside. Feedback three running riot. -- the

back three. Wales pounding away, looking to get on the scoreboard.

Looking for a hint of respectability at the end of the game. You have to

give credit to the England defence, 60 points to the good, but

resolutely keeping Wales out. He goes out before it can get to

Wilkins. Well picked up on the Welsh team. Wales knocking on, England can

come away with it. England completely dominant, running in 11

tries. Absolutely comprehensive and a one-sided victory over Wales.

Talk about two talented guests to make me feel distinctly average.

Tamara Taylor, centurion, fantastic performance. You have represented

Wales in three sports, the Commonwealth Games, also the top

Welsh try scorer, we could go one. Tamara, congratulations, is it

starting to sink in? Slowly but surely. Most important thing was the

game. Loads of excitement, fantastic for me personally. We needed to get

80 minutes out of the way, now I can relax and think about 100 caps. When

you think back on your international career, a win like you have produced

to date, 63-0 against Wales, the perfect way to market. Definitely a

clinical performance. The surface sitting us to play our fast game, we

have bags of pace outside. Amy scored three out wide, Lydia with a

couple. I would have loved to be on the wing for England. Or full-back.

How impressive were England? Absolutely superb. Beautiful pitch.

Really suiting England's game plan. Last weekend they started very

slowly against France. France dominated the set piece. Correct me

if I am wrong, but the game plan today was to go wide, it was the

pace. One or two phases, the ball flung wide, and the tries came. Your

set plays did improve from last weekend against France. A

performance really throwing down a marker. This is a World Cup year.

Performances like that will make other countries sit up, and think,

OK we have trouble on our hands. Our aim at the moment is to win the Six

Nations. Not won it in five years, since 2012. It is a cliche, but we

have to take every game as we can. The Welsh had a massive game against

us, it is a big scoreline, but does not reflect how physical it was.

Especially in the second half, the Welsh came at us on the line, we had

to work hard to keep them out. You are the reigning world champions,

how much changes when you win a World Cup? Players stepping back. Is

it a couple of years rebuilding to get to this level? Definitely. We

came out of the World Cup, 2015, the Six Nations, we came to Wales and

lost in the first game. Sorry about that! It has been rebuilding, some

of the girls away with the sevens, we had seven or eight retire after

the World Cup. You have the tag line of a World Cup team, but not the

same players, each cycle the World Cup is a different building process.

Still in the building process, definitely not the finished product.

That is still really exciting, more to come. Thank you, 100 caps,

something to be hugely proud. More to come, we should say. Thank you.

Let's hear from today's player of the match, try scorer, fantastic

playmaker, Katy McLean. Player of the match,

congratulations. Thank you, it was a tough game and the score doesn't

reflect that. Wales but up a hell of a fight. We knew it would be tough

being here and we needed to be clinical and it worked today. You

were pulling the strings. Maybe the tries went to the back three, but

you were in charge at scrum-half. It's so easy being in ten when you

play good football. When the girls carry as well as they did today, it

makes my life easier. Looking forward to Italy? It will be nice to

have a bit of a break. Having a weekend off, and then we can build

on today when we go to Italy in two weeks. The Welsh coach Rowland

Phillips has joined us. 63-0, how are the players feeling? Must be

pretty sore to lose by that scoreline. It's pretty sore to lose

anyway, that's the kind of thing. But as a coach, you find out more

about your players sometimes when you have these types of moments

rather than just when you skip a long winning loads of games. I will

know these girls better and they will know me better and they are

positives to build on. Talking about coaches, England were better than

they were against France last weekend. I think against France they

tried to play a set piece game but France were strung up front. England

not very good in the line-out. Today they came out and won two phases and

spread the ball wide. Did that make a difference? Yeah, we were prepared

for that play, the way they played. From kick-off they hit the 7-Up

played wide. To be honest, their line-out was under pressure last

week, the scrum was under pressure last week and they've obviously

spent time working and improving. I thought our scrum was good today.

Other than that, they dominated all parts of the game. If teams like

Wales and other countries are wanting to compete with England,

what must the rugby unions be doing now to give players a helping hand?

We know England are now a professional side. Yeah, I don't

know what it is. I think France plans next to drop 15 and seven is

women into the Top 14 structure. It will be the future at some point.

I'm not grumbling about where we are. We know where we are now is

further down. As far as the stadiums and support we get. We are moving in

the right direction, but England have set the standard for the

professional level of the game. What will you be working on before you

had to Scotland for your next match? Probably working on taking my

gloves, it will be cold up there! You can borrow mine. The weather is

always wonderful in Scotland! We know France threw away a 13-0 lead

when they took on England. They have been desperate to get their

tournament back on track. COMMENTATOR: Ten yards away from the

line. Le Pesq looks left. Jade Le Pesq again. Looking through the gap.

Looking to go all the way. Onto Christelle Leduff in support. Safi

N'Diaye! France get their first try after 18 minutes. It was after some

excellent phase play. The initial burst down the left wing from Lenaig

Corson, who got herself again involved.

They come out the back door with a little Tommy Wright from Christelle

Leduff. A training ground move. Still going. They have room on the

outside. It will be France's second try. Shannon Izar with her second

try in two weeks. They sucked in the Scottish defenders. Continued to

create room on the outside with extras. Shannon Izar.

Straight through the middle, Lenaig Corson. The last two defenders of

Scotland just watched the try gets gored. -- get scored. Straight

through the middle here. You would have thought with two in the defence

they could have stopped Lenaig Corson. But I think there was a

miscommunication. It's a simple try. It's good, the extras added by

Christelle Leduff and France get themselves 17 points.

Safi N'Diaye gets going. She's really picked up steam here. The

flowed. The tackles need to come in from Scotland, but they will not get

there. Elodie Poublan with the first try of the sector. The third

conversion attempt of the evening. -- first try of the second half. In

off the left-hand upright. That will do, two out of three for the French

fly-half. Gemma Forsyth had enough of that and tracked back, bringing

back the French number eight. But now they get round the outside. Will

it be another try for Shannon Izar? It was over on the right. Melody we

on -- 's Elodie Guiglion with the dry. Jade Le Pesq, a former winger,

she's got the pace to skip on the outside. Try number six for France.

It's one-way traffic. Flowed to Jade Le Pesq. Number eight

to number nine again. The result is the same, a second try for the

French scrum-half. Try number seven for France. The atmosphere at the

Marcel Deflandre is stunning. It will be Caroline Ladagnous. The

28-year-old centre gets over. Scotland's defence just getting

caught is narrow and they are tiring as well. Elodie Guiglion looks left

and right and they are queueing up. It's a try for Camille Cabalou.

Conversion from Camille Cabalou, goes sailing through the uprights.

France running out comprehensive winners, taking a bonus point and

all five points. Winning 55-0. STUDIO: Next up Ireland, who got a

bonus point against Scotland last weekend. They headed to Italy making

two changes to the side. Elaine Anthony coming into the second row

and a winger coming into the backline. COMMENTATOR: Helping

Ireland can get off the mark with three points off the boot of Nora

Stapleton. The Italian crowds do their best to make her feel at home.

Island off the mark. Leading 3-0. -- Ireland off the mark. Still playing

advantage according to the referee. Strikes with the right foot. Looks

good from here. The flags go up and we are level.

The Italians under serious pressure here. Low body position in defence

to try to keep tabs Nora Stapleton. To calling for it out wide. Murphy,

she scored twice against Scotland. Just held up. Shot to nothing for

Ireland. Trying to dig it out. They are queueing up on the right-hand

side. Lindsay Peat is well tackled. She can't get over. It is a try.

Leah Lyons. They think she has got there. Alison Miller steps inside.

She gets the pass away. It's Lindsay Peat again. Much better from

Ireland. Lovely hands as well. Five metres short. Quick ball needed.

Kick and go, Leah Lyons looking for a second to the right. The pack

almost there. Where is the ball? Need to recycle it. And Sophie

Spence crashes over for Ireland from the back. They go to the right.

Murphy trying to use her power to get over from short range. It's

short. Needs to present the ball. Pick and go. Ireland surely, if it's

right. The captain Fitzpatrick crashes over. Crossfield kick to

Hannah Tyrrell. She has the place to get behind if this sits up for her.

She waits for it and off she goes. Can Hannah Tyrrell get the bonus

point? She has to go on her own. Ireland for the bonus point. Hannah

Tyrrell for the corner. Brilliant vision from Nora Stapleton. With the

crossfield kick. Ireland do the business here, beating Italy 27-3.

Congratulations on the bonus point. Didn't look like that at half-time.

We were trying to string things together but it wasn't coming off,

the last bass was letting us down. You can see the play we were trying

to generate and in the second of it came together. We were boxing clever

and took our chances. I could do with not having a last-minute bonus

point try again because it's quite nerve wracking. More reaction to

that match out in Italy from Hugh Cahill and former Ireland captain

Fiona Coquelin. Ireland getting a bonus point victory. Fiona is beside

me. Much improved in that second half. They went through the phases a

lot more, sucked Italy in and got the four tries in the end. The last

one was particularly impressive. The ball sent up and they crossfield

kick from Stapleton for Hannah Tyrrell to finish. Still lots of

areas to tidy up. A lot of unforced errors, particularly handling, so

they will focus on that. France with a massive score against Scotland, 55

points. They ran England close. It's a tough game. It will be tough. It's

a home game for Ireland, and it depends what French team travels.

But every game against France's tough. They are improving every

game. It will be up to Ireland to come out and play their best

performance, which they haven't been yet in this championship. They have

done enough to get two bonus points. Top of the table without performing

at their best. Ireland staying top with maximum points after a late

fourth try. England is just behind them, and it's building up to a

potential Saint Patrick's Day showdown for the Championship.

France are off the mark and they travel to Dublin next. Scotland face

Wales and England have consecutive home matches coming up at the Stoop,

starting with Italy. A two-week break for all the teams now. With

Wales in mind before they head up to Scotland, what should they be

working on? A lot to work on, but first of all I hope Charis Phillips,

the captain, is fit, and previous captain Rachael Taylor is fit. They

both went off the field today. Scotland have won a game since 2010.

I used to love going up to Scotland and playing there, even when it was

freezing cold. But last weekend, they only lost in the last minute.

That was against the Irish team who beat New Zealand in the last World

Cup. So it will be very difficult up there in Scotland. But Rowland

Phillips is a great coach and will galvanise the team together, get the

bumps and bruises all patched up and hopefully we can get the victory up

there. Do you see anybody stopping England as we saw them today? No.

France were the toughest match, and that was the first game of the Six

Nations. I don't see anybody stopping such a great, professional

outfit. We will soon find out. Plenty more sport coming up the

BBC... That's it from us. A win for the

reigning world champions. The chariot rolls on and a great day for

Centurion Tamara Taylor. Tamara Taylor has got to be one of my

favourite people in camp. I could reel off quite a few things to say

about her. Absolutely incredible person. Absolute leader. Somebody

everybody looks up to. Here row. One of the most popular people in the

team and an absolute warrior. Do you have

any prior motoring convictions?