6N: Six takeaways from round one of the 2025 Six Nations

Today at 10:08 AM

1. Wales actually played (quite) well!

Ignore the score because it is, from one perspective, irrelevant. Coaches can only work with the bodies they have at their disposal and tend to focus on performance rather than results (fans do the opposite). This young Wales squad played pretty much as well as they could on Friday evening in the knowledge that they were farting against thunder. They earned 50 percent of possession and 46 percent territory against one of the best teams in world rugby, away from home (although France are ranked a lowly fourth). They chopped the big French forwards around the ankles. They went after France at the set scrum, almost got some reward for their efforts, and they played to the bitter end in a desperate, if forlorn, attempt not to be nilled. Twice Wales dinked a ball over the French blitz – organised by Shaun Edwards let's not forget – a ploy that worked well with team in red regaining possession, even if the French scramble got back to stem the tide. Other teams will have noted as much. Admittedly, the Welsh conceded seven tries but to a team ranked seven places above them. If Wales played Spain next weekend, ranked seven places below them, Warren Gatland's team would hope to score seven tries themselves. For France, Grégory Alldritt looked slimmer and far more effective than of late. And France were good, so much so that they took Antoine Dupont off early in the second half but not before he'd made three of their opening four tries. The Six Nations is highly attritional and, with limited resources, you worry that Wales' woes have only just begun.

The Monday Bulletin (3rd February): AC/DC headed for Murrayfield and World Cup Sevens to be scrapped

6N: Scotland v Italy debrief: a win to savour but more evidence of progress required

6N: Scotland v Italy: Blair Kinghorn secures bragging right over Toulousian clubmate

2. If catches win matches in cricket, missed tackles raise hackles in rugby

And surely someone can come up with a better rhyme to underline the importance of tackles in rugby. How many tries were scored at the weekend as a direct result of missed tackles. Dafydd Jenkins' missed a shot on Dupont ahead of the third French try but at least he missed rugby's GOAT, which is some salve for his conscience, and he wasn't alone. England scrummy Alex Mitchell bounced off Ireland's meaty winger James Lowe because he went too high before Jamison Gibson-Park's try. Bundee Aki barely noticed Marcus Smith's attempted tackle, a small speed bump, before barrelling past Micthell (again) and his opposite number Tommy Freeman to score. Freeman missed the same man immediately before the Dan Sheehan score before Freeman himself benefitted from Robbie Henshaw's miss on him for the final try of the match. Michele Lamaro missed Darcy Graham in the build up to Huw Jones' second try and the Italian skipper caught but couldn't prevent Jones from scoring his third. I realise that not all of the above examples are easy tackles to make but at least some of them simply required better technique.

3. Scotland must do better

We can argue the specifics but I don't think too many Scotland fans out there will take issue with the headline, at least not if they hope/expect Gregor Townsend's team to beat Ireland for the first time in 11 attempts. Without their gaffer and several key players, Ireland still looked back to their very best in that second half after an indifferent Autumn. For Scotland, Finn Russell will need to be a little more accurate and be wary of another interception; the price you pay for launching all those killer passes. But the intensity of the physical battle, backs and forwards alike, was a notch or two higher in Dublin than in Edinburgh. The English forwards, with a back-row trio of sevens, did well for 40 minutes but wilted under the accuracy and intensity of Ireland's second half performance. Given Scotland effectively started with three sevens in their third-row against Italy, there might be reason to beef up the side; where is Andy Onyayma-Christie when you need his energy/bulk/disregard for personal safety? (Injured, I know). You suspect that the second-row will be freshened up, with dynamism replacing bulk, and the undercooked Jack Dempsey may still start next week with Fagerson moving to six which would give Scotland an all-Warriors trio. Stafford McDowall did nothing much wrong but there is a case for starting Tom Jordan at 12 to counter the physical threat of Bundee Aki. Scotland managed just four dominant tackles, against 15 for Italy, and two of them went to Jordan, a late replacement!

4. An apology

I suggested in the preview that England's midfield were a tad "ordinary" and they proved otherwise in Dublin. Henry Slade's grubber set up Cadan Murley‘s early try and Ollie Lawrence was outstanding throughout. It was his line-break that led indirectly to England's opening try while his footwork and offload to enable Tom Curry's second half score was exceptional. England failed to maintain the defensive intensity throughout the second half although, you could argue, that such was the effort in the opening quarter that they were always going to run out of gas at some point. Steve Borthwick is being ripped a new one, perhaps rightly, as it isn’t the first time his side has wilted. I actually think his plan worked for 40 odd minutes but, and TOL readers will be way ahead of me here, there is an obvious problem of having a 40 minute plan for an 80 minute game. Ill discipline also hurt England dear with two back-to-back second half penalties costing them 80 odd metres at one stage, although how Maro Itoje got pinged for touching the jumper in the air is beyond me? Are match officials subconsciously biased against England … discuss?

5. David ‘Flats’ Flatman is the best co-commentator available

The former England prop is knowledgeable, opinionated, generous in his assessment (he rarely punches down) and almost always right. His take on Romain N'tamack's high tackle on his opposite number on the 70 minute mark was succinct and to the point; a cheap shot. Which it was. And mad. Also. Obviously. Having a former international prop in the comms box offers several advantages, like Flatman telling us what is actually happening come scrum-time rather than guessing, like most referees.

6. Some counterfactuals, just for fun

What would the score have been in Paris if Dupont was wearing red rather than blue? The little scrummy has been likened to all the greats but for me he is the reincarnation of Gareth Edwards who had speed, vision and immense upper body strength. Wales would not have won but France certainly would not have scored seven tries, three or four would be my best guess.

After the Murrayfield encounter, Ignacio Brex was bemoaning his decision to jump out of the Italian defensive line in a failed attempt to catch Blair Kinghorn with the ball instead of targeting Darcy Graham who utilised the space Brex should have occupied to sprint up-field and make Huw Jones' second score. At the time the teams were 19-19 and the final score would likely have been a lot closer had Brex kept his defensive discipline with Italy looking resurgent.

What might have happened in Dublin had England held out for another 30 seconds to allow Marcus Smith back onto the pitch. They would probably have gone in with a 10-0 advantage but we should never underplay Borthwick's team's ability to squander a healthy lead. It is their defining trait.

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The Monday Bulletin (3rd February): AC/DC headed for Murrayfield and World Cup Sevens to be scrapped

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