All posts tagged: Scotland Rugby Union Team

England spoil Scotland’s party to take top spot in Women’s Six Nations

England spoil Scotland’s party to take top spot in Women’s Six Nations

Published by Sam Flores

A record-breaking party for Scottish sport, and England spoilt it. On the day of the largest standalone crowd for a women’s sporting fixture north of the border, beating the near-19,000 who witnessed Scotland defeat Jamaica at Hampden Park in 2019, England’s march towards an eighth successive Six Nations title continued with aplomb, as John Mitchell’s world champions delivered a 12-try clinic at Murrayfield. England were depleted but one might not have known, inflicting Scotland’s heaviest defeat in this fixture since 2011. In hindsight, and taking into account the extraordinary depth at Mitchell’s disposal, it seems bonkers to peg them with an availability crisis but the truth is that no other side – women’s or men’s – in the world could cope with England’s absentee list and continue with such dominance. Three second rows, Zoe Stratford, Abbie Ward and Rosie Galligan, are pregnant, as is hooker Lark Atkin-Davies, while five others have suffered championship-ending injuries. Seven of the 13 forwards who played in last autumn’s World Cup final win were absent, including Alex Matthews who is …

Ireland beat Scotland to win Triple Crown before Six Nations title is snatched away

Ireland beat Scotland to win Triple Crown before Six Nations title is snatched away

Published by Sam Flores

The visitors did manage one final score to stay in touch, with Rory Darge cutting a wicked angle to finish another seemingly endless Scottish move. But O’Brien’s double and a late Jack Crowley penalty put the game to bed. Paris is Paris, but Ireland end the Six Nations with hope, and their heads held high. Match details Scoring sequence: 5-0 Osborne try, 7-0 Crowley con, 7-5 Graham try, 7-7 Russell con, 12-7 Sheehan try, 14-7 Crowley con, 19-7 Baloucoune try, 19-12 Russell try, 19-14 Russell con, 24-14 Murray try, 26-14 Crowley con, 26-19 Darge try, 26-21 Russell con, 31-21 O’Brien try, 33-21 Crowley con, 36-21 Crowley pen, 41-21 O’Brien try, 43-21 Crowley con. Ireland: J Osborne; R Baloucoune (Frawley 65), G Ringrose (Aki 65), S McCloskey, T O’Brien; J Crowley, J Gibson-Park (Casey 77); T O’Toole (Milne 65), D Sheehan (Kelleher 65), T Furlong (Bealham 65); J McCarthy (Murray 65), T Beirne (Murray 50, Beirne 61); J Conan, J van der Flier (Timoney 53), C Doris (capt). Scotland: B Kinghorn; D Graham (Rowe 61, Jordan …

Scotland stun France in epic to blow Six Nations wide open

Scotland stun France in epic to blow Six Nations wide open

Published by Sam Flores

“That third quarter was another step up,” Townsend added. “To continue how we were playing and to put pressure on France… we felt there were errors in them when they [go] behind and force things.” France, in both halves, still managed some utterly gorgeous tries. Dupont crossed after a sweeping move, Thomas Ramos added two, alongside 10 points from the boot, and Oscar Jégou also got on the scoresheet, but Les Bleus were masters of self-sabotage. On their day, France are giants, but after the feeble defeat by 14-player South Africa in the autumn, they are still dogged by inconsistency. In light of this result, the pre-match complaints of Fabien Galthié, the head coach, about the size of the Murrayfield changing room, look even more misguided. “We are disappointed because we had a [Grand Slam] mission,” Galthié said. “Only one third of the match belonged to us and that’s not enough. We knew it was possible to come here and lose. Scotland played very well.” Dupont added: “We were indisciplined and could not get out …

Finn Russell’s moment of genius sparks Scotland comeback win against Wales

Finn Russell’s moment of genius sparks Scotland comeback win against Wales

Published by Sam Flores

Scotland exhibited so much in their revival and, as well as Russell and Turner, prevailed thanks to tries from wings Kyle Steyn and Graham. “We dug deep and did what we needed to do to win,” said Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu. “Full credit to Wales. They came out with fight and we had to find a way to win ugly. “I said to the boys at half-time we would need to find a little bit in ourselves to come away with the victory. Several of the boys really held their hands up. It was not as sharp a performance as last week [against England], but that was down to Wales’s performance.” This was an enthralling game from which both teams would have taken huge positives. For Scotland, their second-half fightback means that they are within one Six Nations match of winning their first Triple Crown in more than three decades. And for Wales, despite the agony of not being able to hang on to a commanding 15-point lead with 30 minutes to go, this was …

England’s alarming defeat against Scotland a major setback for Borthwick

England’s alarming defeat against Scotland a major setback for Borthwick

Published by Sam Flores

Gregor Townsend has made four changes, with George Turner, Nathan McBeth, Gregor Brown and Jamie Ritchie coming into the starting XV. McBeth makes his first Six Nations start. Blair Kinghorn and Duhan van der Merwe are still omitted from the squad. Scotland starting XV: 15 Tom Jordan, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu (captain), 11 Jamie Dobie, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White, 1 Nathan McBeth, 2 George Turner, 3 Zander Fagerson, 4 Gregor Brown, 5 Scott Cummings, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 7 Rory Darge, 8 Jack Dempsey. Replacements: 16 Dave Cherry, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Elliot Millar Mills, 19 Williamson, 20 Matt Fagerson, 21 George Horne, 22 Adam Hastings, 23 Darcy Graham. Steve Borthwick has made two changes to his starting side from last week. Luke Cowan-Dickie and Maro Itoje come in for Jamie George and Alex Coles. Fin Smith replaces Marcus Smith in the 23 shirt. England starting XV: 15 Freddie Steward; 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 1Tommy Freeman, 2 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Henry Arundell; 10 George Ford 9 Alex Mitchell; 1 …

Fixtures, results, squads and how to watch on TV

Fixtures, results, squads and how to watch on TV

Published by Sam Flores

Ticket prices and how to get them The cost of tickets ranges considerably, from around £26 for the cheapest tickets for France’s three home games to £203 for the most expensive England home tickets against Wales and Ireland. Tickets for each of the home games can be bought from the respective federations: England, France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy. Who is in the squads? England Forwards: Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Arthur Clark (Gloucester), Alex Coles (Northampton), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Tom Curry (Sale), Theo Dan (Saracens), Trevor Davison (Northampton), Ben Earl (Saracens), Greg Fisilau (Exeter), Ellis Genge (Bristol), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton), Guy Pepper (Bath), Henry Pollock (Northampton), Bevan Rodd (Sale) Vilikesa Sela (Bath), Sam Underhill (Bath). Backs: Henry Arundell (Bath), Seb Atkinson (Gloucester), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton), George Furbank (Northampton), Alex Mitchell (Northampton), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Henry Slade (Exeter), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby), Freddie Steward (Leicester), Jack …

Gregor Townsend a ‘wonderful coach’ and Scots should back him

Gregor Townsend a ‘wonderful coach’ and Scots should back him

Published by Sam Flores

The story behind Steve Borthwick’s selection for Calcutta Cup match in Edinburgh on Saturday, is not the two changes he has made, with Luke Cowan-Dickie starting at hooker and Maro Itoje returning to captain the side at lock. Nor is it the decision to retain Henry Arundell on the wing despite the return to fitness of Ollie Lawrence, or the dropping of Marcus Smith from the 23-man squad following the victory over Wales. No, the biggest take-away is from what Borthwick did not do, and that was switch Tommy Freeman, a wing for his club Northampton Saints and the British and Irish Lions, from outside centre, where he started against Wales. It is something Borthwick must have considered when Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was forced to pull out with a hamstring injury at the 11th hour ahead of the Wales game, but instead the England head coach opted to bring in Tom Roebuck, who had only just recovered from a broken toe. Again, with Lawrence fully fit this week having recovered from a knee injury, the Bath …

Pressure piles on Townsend after Scotland slump to Six Nations defeat against Italy

Pressure piles on Townsend after Scotland slump to Six Nations defeat against Italy

Published by Sam Flores

There was purpose about the Scottish start but there was little by way of accuracy. The line-out was a mess early on and it fed Italy’s belief. Louis Lynagh pounced on a Brex grubber to open the scoring before the wing was at it again in the air moments later, pilfering possession for Menoncello’s try. No 8 Jack Dempsey, one of few shining lights for Scotland, pulled one back before half-time but a Paolo Garbisi penalty gave Italy an eight-point lead at the break which, with the weather setting in, felt far healthier. And so it was. Italy managed just a sole Garbisi penalty in the second half but that was all the hosts needed to secure a second consecutive victory over Scotland in Rome. George Turner’s sin-binning for a dodgy ruck clean-out on Zuliani did nothing to help the visitors’ cause but there was a rearguard: Russell kicked three points and the lively George Horne slid over but Italy held on in a thrilling last stand which saw Scotland cycle through nearly 30 phases …