Six Nations Results 2015: Updated Table, Top Try Scorers and Round 2 Fixtures
A relentless start to the 2015 Six Nations has seen Ireland take to the table's summit following the first round of competition, but one can bet the order will change over the coming weeks.
England got their tournament underway with a pivotal 21-16 win at the Millennium Stadium, George Ford leading a second-half charge against the Welsh, while France edged Scotland 15-8 at the Stade de France.
The northern hemisphere's elite are bound to need time before reaching top speed in the year's contest, but already the writing is on the wall for another fierce run for this year's title.
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Read on for a look ahead to Round 2, along with breakdown of the standings as things are and the tournament's leading try scorers.
| 1 | Ireland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 3 | +23 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | France | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | England | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 16 | +5 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Wales | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 21 | –5 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | Scotland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 15 | –7 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Italy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 26 | –23 | 0 | 0 |
| Dougie Fife | Scotland | 1 |
| Jonathan Joseph | England | 1 |
| Conor Murray | Ireland | 1 |
| Tommy O'Donnell | Ireland | 1 |
| Anthony Watson | England | 1 |
| Rhys Webb | Wales | 1 |
| Saturday, Feb. 14 | 2:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. ET | England | vs. | Italy |
| Saturday, Feb. 14 | 5 p.m. GMT/12 p.m. ET | Ireland | vs. | France |
| Sunday, Feb. 15 | 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET | Scotland | vs. | Wales |
England vs. Italy
A second successive defeat in this year's Six Nations would see Italy edge that much closer to the bottom of the pile as 2015 Wooden Spoon favourites, and a trip to Twickenham in Round 2 doesn't make for strong omens.
England knew that their opening fixture against the Welsh would be a hard slog, but a patient approach saw Stuart Lancaster's outfit stop their opponents from scoring a point in the second period of their Cardiff collision.
Against the Azzurri, England will now be looking to mount some form of assault on the scoreboard, with points difference and tries scored becoming an ever more important part of each title campaign.
Back at English headquarters, Jonathan Joseph will be looking to build on a brilliant first Six Nations outing with another morale-boosting display at outside centre, after winning over 2003 World Cup winner Will Greenwood on Friday:
They're aware the job is far from done, but having struggled for periods of their meeting against Wales, this will be a chance for the injury-plagued lineup to express itself with a little more freedom.
Ireland vs. France
Joe Schmidt's Ireland needed a much-improved second half in Rome to consolidate their win over the Italians on Saturday, struggling to attain any fluidity in the opening 40 minutes.
As Andy McGeady of the Irish Times attested, the first half of their win over the Azzurri was far from their most entertaining:
However, a win is a win in Schmidt's eyes, but the visit of France to the Aviva Stadium next Saturday will require something more substantial and the coach can look forward to fielding a stronger team, too.
Ian Keatley came in as the surprise inclusion at fly-half against Italy, while Sean O'Brien's return to Test rugby was delayed following an injury in Saturday's warm-up.
It's unclear as to whether O'Brien will feature against Les Bleus, but Murray Kinsella of The42.ie quotes Jonny Sexton as saying he should be in contention for a Round 2 return:
That change of the No. 10 jersey in particular should give Ireland a huge improvement, Sexton being so pivotal to last year's win in Paris, where he scored two tries and 17 of Ireland's 22 points.
Philippe Saint-Andre's France, meanwhile, are looking to build on a win over the Scots this past weekend, hoping that they can take a win in Dublin to show they're still in the running for silverware.
Scotland vs. Wales
The Welsh are looking to bounce back from defeat at home to England in Week 2 and have the potential to do just that at Murrayfield next Sunday.
In the first half of their defeat to Lancaster's side, Warren Gatland's men showed poise and a motivation to play the quick ball they've been lacking in recent times, but it dissipated in the last 40 minutes.
Travelling to Edinburgh, the Welsh will be seeking a much more comprehensive outing, but this will be a far more difficult affair than their 51-3 trouncing of the Scots on home turf one year ago.
As BBC Wales Sport reports, the Welsh are under fire at the moment for their treatment of the alleged concussion suffered by George North during the English defeat, with the winger carrying on despite seemingly being knocked unconscious:
Both teams are looking to breathe new life into their 2015 Six Nations campaigns after each suffering losses in their Round 1 outings, but Wales will feel their squad strength still gives them the favourites' edge.
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