State of the Nations: Your guide to Round Two of rugby's greatest championship

13 February 2023 , 16:52

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Finn Russell: “I’m just doing my job out there, making other boys look good!” (Image: PA)

Round Two witnessed arguably the greatest game the Championship has seen, in either its Five or Six Nations guise.

It was the first time the world's top two ranked teams clashed in northern hemisphere's showpiece tournament and Ireland and France did not disappoint.

At the end of a fierce, utterly absorbing contest, the form book played out with top dogs Ireland winning 32-19. That put them on top of the table as they go in search of their first title and Grand Slam since 2018.

Scotland served notice that they will not have it all their own way, crushing Wales 35-7, 24 hours before England gave Steve Borthwick his first win, beating Italy 31-14.

The Scots have opened up with two wins for the first time in Six Nations history and eagerly await Ireland's visit to Murrayfield in Round Four.

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So what did we learn from Round Two? Mirror rugby correspondent Alex Spink offers his verdict...

Ireland wing James Lowe scores against France with a spectacular finish, albeit a camera angle not made available to the TMO later shows his boot scraped the turf out of play before he dotted down (Brian Lawless/PA Wire)

TEAM OF WEEKEND

15 Keenan (Ire)

14 Penaud (Fra)

13 Ringrose (Ire)

12 Lawrence (Eng)

11 Lowe (Ire)

10 Russell (Sco)

9 Dupont (Ire)

1 Porter (Ire)

England star Joe Marler reflects on lowest point after fight with pregnant wife

2 Marchand (Fra)

3 Bealham (Ire)

4 Flament (Fra)

5 R Gray (Sco)

6 Ritchie (Sco)

7 Willis (Eng)

8 Doris (Ire)

Andy Farrell and Mike Catt coaching England in 2014. Nine years later the pair have Ireland on top of the world (David Rogers)

GOING UP

Thibaud Flament. A tough loss for France but a day to remember for their 6’8 Belgian-born lock who, remarkably, used to play fly-half for Loughborough University fifths. A week after scoring in Italy he made a game-high 26 tackles against Ireland.

GOING DOWN

World Rugby's credibility. (1) Making the World Cup draw in 2020 has left the world's top five nations - Ireland, France, NZ, SA and Scotland - in the same half of the draw for this autumn's showpiece. (2) Not insisting TV directors give ALL the camera angles to the TMO. Had they done so James Lowe's Ireland try would have been chalked off. The one angle that was not made available to the TMO - but was to TV - showed Lowe’s boot scraped the turf out of play before he got the ball down.

COACH OF THE WEEKEND

Andy Farrell (jointly with his attack coach Mike Catt). Dumped by England after 2015 World Cup the pair have turned Ireland into World No.1 side with a record 13 straight home wins.

Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie lifts the Doddie Weir Cup following victory over Wales (Getty Images)

STAT OF THE WEEKEND

Scotland had never beaten a Gatland Wales team in Six Nations but did so with a record score in first home game since Doddie Weir’s passing - fittingly, to win trophy named in his honour.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND

“I’m just doing my job out there, making other boys look good!” Scotland fly-half Finn Russell

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED FROM WEEKEND TWO OF THE SIX NATIONS

Ireland fully deserve their world number one ranking. Consider this: France, ranked second and co-favourites for the World Cup, made an astonishing 235 tackles - missing just 23 - and still shipped four tries and failed to get a losing bonus point.

DID YOU KNOW

Scotland, the last Five Nations champions in 1999, have never finished better than third in 23 editions of the Six Nations. That could be about to change, having won their first two games for the first time.

Alex Spink