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Dan Edwards of Wales celebrates with team mates after kicking the ball to score a drop goal(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
These are your latest rugby headlines on Monday, March 16.
Wales get the plaudits
Wales’ transformation that culminated in a first Six Nations win for three years has impressed the pundits, who have heaped praise on Steve Tandy’s side following victory over Italy.
The Welsh team were understandably subjected to huge criticism during the first two rounds of the competition as they were torn apart by England and France. But the improvements have been huge in the following three matches, with the 31-17 win over Italy just reward for a side that stuck together in the most difficult of times.
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England’s most capped player Ben Youngs, who had previously been left stunned by how bad Wales were and branded them “ludicrous”, lauded Steve Tandy’s men for showing there is life in Welsh rugby yet.
Speaking on his For The Love Of Rugby show, he said: “We always said you can’t judge Wales on results, you have to judge them on performances. Have the performances got better throughout the tournament? Without doubt.
“Dan Edwards – that’s as well as I have seen him play. I mean, his drop goal, what a great moment that was. Wainwright has just been terrific throughout this tournament.
“They’ve built towards a performance and they are so deserving of a win like that. They were deserving of winning in that manner, which was very comfortable in the end. The Principality Stadium was rocking and they delivered. It’s a team I think the public can look at and genuinely be proud of and inspired by. Without doubt, from round one until the end, they are a much-improved team and you can really see what Tandy is trying to build there.”
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Borthwick backed amid investigation
By Duncan Bech, Press Association Rugby Union Correspondent, Paris
Steve Borthwick will enter next week’s Rugby Football Union’s investigation into England’s worst performance in Six Nations history with the support of his players, according to Jamie George.
England finished fifth in the table following a 48-46 defeat by France in Paris on Saturday night, with their victory over Wales in round one the solitary win from a tournament that began amid high expectation but ended in crushing disappointment.
The RFU reviews every campaign using an anonymous panel of internal and external individuals, including former players, but on this occasion Borthwick will be asked to provide the explanations and fixes for the team’s four-match losing run in the knowledge he is fighting for his future.
England’s head coach has already been backed by RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney, although the statement released after the 23-18 loss to Italy in round four declined to look beyond the build-up to the Nations Championship, which begins against South Africa on July 3.
The process is expected to last several weeks, with players and Borthwick’s backroom staff asked for their views on the reasons behind the routs by Scotland and Ireland and late collapse in Rome.
While England were edged in the climax to the tournament at the Stade de France, it was a stirring performance full of intent and attacking endeavour that may have bought the 46-year-old some time. Borthwick has already stated he has the solutions needed to reverse the decline with the World Cup just 18 months away and George, a member of the team’s senior leadership group, insists he has the loyalty of the squad.
“Steve is one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked under,” the British and Irish Lions hooker said. “Under Steve I think we will be right up there with the favourites to win the World Cup. We’re a great team, a great group of players and he’s the perfect person to take us there.
“He has been unbelievable for English rugby. It’s crazy what has been happening over the last few weeks and he is absolutely the right man to lead us forward for a long time.
“That’s because he’s an English coach who cares so much about this game but he’s also a very, very good coach who has created an excellent programme. When you combine that with a good group of players it’s a recipe for success.
“It hasn’t been where it has needed to be over the last few weeks, but the excellent thing about Steve is that we will have answers. The togetherness and how tight we have been over this period of time is the biggest indicator that the right people are in the room – players, staff, whoever.”
While positive over Borthwick’s ability to guide England back to winning ways, George accepts it has been a dismal Six Nations.
“I’m not shying away from the fact that one in five is not good enough,” he said. “The players need to take responsibility for that because what we put out on the field in a couple of games in particular wasn’t good enough.”
Snubbed Wales star hungry for more
Leicester Tigers star Tommy Reffell has hailed his side’s “massive” achievement after captaining them to PREM Rugby Cup glory against Exeter Chiefs on Sunday.
The flanker helped his side to a resounding 66-14 win against the Chiefs at Welford Road, with the Tigers running in 10 tries as they cruised to a comfortable victory.
With fellow Wales international Gabriel Hamer-Webb getting amongst the tries for Leicester, Reffell lifted the trophy as his side celebrated their first silverware since winning the Premiership title in 2022.
It comes after Reffell was suprisingly left out of Wales’ Six Nations squad for the second successive international campaign, with head coach Steve Tandy choosing not to bring him in at any point during the championship.
However, the 26-year-old has been fully focused on his work with Leicester and, at the full-time whistle on Sunday, he praised his side for all of their hard effort and admitted they were already hungry for more success.
“It gives the boys a sense of silverware and you always want to crave more,” he said. “You look at Bristol next week, it’s another tough game but you have to go game by game, and hopefully we’re in the mix towards the end.”
“I think we worked really hard in this Six Nations period to get a home semi-final and a home final. Credit to the boys, especially the ones who stepped up and delivered.
“We said we wanted to start well and play the conditions, put ourselves on the front foot. We said we just wanted to shift the ball and play a bit. Credit to Izaia [Perese] and Billy Searle, they put us in the right areas, and we turned pressure into points.
“It’s massive because the hard work that’s gone on behind the scenes, from the coaches and backroom staff, to all the work the boys have done off the field to get the opportunity,” Reffell added. “Some of the boys haven’t won anything and now they have, they’ll want to win more.”
Tuipulotu: This is not the end
By Edward Elliot, Press Association, Dublin
Captain Sione Tuipulotu insists a deflating climax to Scotland’s Guinness Six Nations campaign is not the end for the current squad.
The Glasgow centre’s dreams of securing his country’s first Triple Crown in 36 years were dashed by Saturday’s 43-21 defeat to Ireland in Dublin. Scotland began the championship with a limp 18-15 loss to Italy in Rome before roaring back to regain the Calcutta Cup from England, secure a fine comeback win against Wales and stun eventual champions France to remain in title contention until the final day.
“I’ve seen what’s gone in behind the scenes and I’m super proud of the group and the way we bounced back after Italy,” said Tuipulotu. “It’s not an easy thing to do and I’m really proud of the boys, how they rallied this championship. We’ve definitely made progress, there’s no doubt about that.
“My goal was to lift that Triple Crown on that field and we didn’t get there, but there was progression and I don’t feel like it’s the end for this group. I feel like this is a good starting point for us. I’m proud of our championship.”
Scotland travelled to the Aviva Stadium bidding to secure a first Triple Crown since 1990 and, potentially, a maiden Six Nations title. But despite twice moving to within five points of their hosts in the second half, Gregor Townsend’s side were powerless to prevent a 12th consecutive defeat to Ireland, dating back to 2018.
“They won more collisions than we did,” conceded Tuipulotu. “I don’t know why. We’ll have to go back and look at it. But they won that area of the game and it went a long way to them winning it.”
Darcy Graham’s fourth try of the tournament cancelled out Jamie Osborne’s opener but Ireland led 19-7 at the break following further scores from Dan Sheehan and Robert Baloucoune.
Scotland responded through Finn Russell and Rory Darge, either side of a finish from Ireland replacement Darragh Murray, but hope of a famous comeback – and silverware – was extinguished by a late double from Tommy O’Brien.
“I’m proud of how we stepped up in the second half, we clawed it back to 26-21, but I think Ireland were deserved winners,” said Tuipulotu. “Every time we kicked back and got it back to five points or got it back between one score they hit back again and stretched the lead so it was hard for us to put scoreboard pressure on.
“We were able to dominate the France game (a 50-40 win) because our error count and penalty count was so low. I think those two areas maybe just crept up a little bit and let Ireland go with field position, and they’re very good when they have the ball in your 22.”
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